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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/24/victorian-premier-sorry-gay-convictions-abominable-laws
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Victorian premier sorry for 'abominable' laws punishing homosexuality | Victorian premier sorry for 'abominable' laws punishing homosexuality |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has apologised for the “abominable” historical laws that made homosexuality punishable with jail. | Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has apologised for the “abominable” historical laws that made homosexuality punishable with jail. |
| Related: 'Unimaginably wrong': Victoria's gay conviction apology speech in full | Related: 'Unimaginably wrong': Victoria's gay conviction apology speech in full |
| “I can’t possibly explain why we made these laws and clung to them and fought for them,” Andrews told parliament on Tuesday. | “I can’t possibly explain why we made these laws and clung to them and fought for them,” Andrews told parliament on Tuesday. |
| “For decades, we were obsessed with the private mysteries of men. And so we jailed them, we harmed them, and in turn, they harmed themselves.” | “For decades, we were obsessed with the private mysteries of men. And so we jailed them, we harmed them, and in turn, they harmed themselves.” |
| The laws were repealed in the 1980s but the premier said criminal records remain against the names of many men. | The laws were repealed in the 1980s but the premier said criminal records remain against the names of many men. |
| He apologised to those men who were no longer alive who would have these convictions “engraved upon their place in history”. | He apologised to those men who were no longer alive who would have these convictions “engraved upon their place in history”. |
| The apology comes after Victoria recently allowed those with convictions to have them expunged. | The apology comes after Victoria recently allowed those with convictions to have them expunged. |
| Andrews said the crime of “loitering with homosexual intent” in effect made being gay a thought crime. “It has become clear to me the state also persecuted against homosexual thought,” he said. | Andrews said the crime of “loitering with homosexual intent” in effect made being gay a thought crime. “It has become clear to me the state also persecuted against homosexual thought,” he said. |
| A man who was convicted of homosexual crimes after his boss raped him when he was just 14 said the apology was an acknowledgement he did nothing wrong. | |
| Tom Anderson went to the police to report his boss for rape but he ended up being charged with gross indecency and buggery. | |
| He went before the children’s court in 1977 and was told to plead guilty and apologise for his perverted acts. | |
| “I actually had no idea what was happening to me. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on,” Anderson told KIIS radio on Tuesday. | |
| “To me it’s going to be a big acknowledgement, that finally a formal apology, a formal statement saying that I did nothing wrong,” Anderson said. | |
| Anderson, now in his mid-50s, has lived his whole life trying to work out what he did wrong, and why he was charged for reporting his sexual assault. | |
| “I think a lot of young people today would really fail to comprehend ... there are still people alive who have suffered the indignity of being charged with [the] crimes,” Anderson said. | |
| Six men have successfully applied to have their records expunged, with many others going through the process. | Six men have successfully applied to have their records expunged, with many others going through the process. |
| Related: Race watchdog hails blind recruiting trial to overcome bias | Related: Race watchdog hails blind recruiting trial to overcome bias |
| Equality minister Martin Foley said he hoped the apology would encourage other people, who have declined to have their records expunged, to reconsider. | Equality minister Martin Foley said he hoped the apology would encourage other people, who have declined to have their records expunged, to reconsider. |
| Opposition leader Matthew Guy said he had heard some horrific stories of people who had been convicted for something that should not have been a crime. | Opposition leader Matthew Guy said he had heard some horrific stories of people who had been convicted for something that should not have been a crime. |
| “Australia post-war was a very, very intolerant place towards gay people, particularly gay men, and today we’re going to apologise for that,” Guy told reporters before parliament. | “Australia post-war was a very, very intolerant place towards gay people, particularly gay men, and today we’re going to apologise for that,” Guy told reporters before parliament. |
| The rainbow flag is flying over Victoria’s Parliament House, and a group of men convicted under the old laws were in the gallery to watch the apology. | The rainbow flag is flying over Victoria’s Parliament House, and a group of men convicted under the old laws were in the gallery to watch the apology. |