A law that came into force in Austria this Thursday (1st) will allow thousands of people convicted of homosexuality to be rehabilitated and compensated.
Where did this come from?
Although homosexuality was decriminalized in the country in 1971, discriminatory legal exceptions continued to exist until the 2000s, leading to the conviction of thousands of Austrians.
In 1999, 19-year-old Michael Woditschka had a brief affair with a 17-year-old boy. Some time later, to his surprise, he received a police summons.
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It was during his interrogation, which he describes as humiliating, that he discovered that the age of consent was 18 for sexual relations between men.
This was the case in Austria until 2002, although the age was set at 14 for heterosexual relations. Michael Woditschka was therefore fined.
As a result, he can now ask for compensation of up to €3,000 (around R$16,000). But the most important thing for him is the apology from the Republic of Austria.
Additionally, 11,000 people are currently eligible to receive compensation.
