This year marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing: the father of both computer science and artificial intelligence: the man whose Enigma decoding process was instrumental in winning World War II.
Arrested for homosexuality in 1952, Turing’s security clearances were revoked, he was barred from consulting work and offered the horrific choice of chemical castration or prison. He chose castration. In 1954, he committed suicide by eating a cyanide-laced apple.
Recently, more than 23,000 people signed an online petition to ask the UK government to pardon Alan Turing for homosexuality, (which, at the time of Turning’s arrest, was considered a crime of “gross indecency”). Yesterday, the motion was dismissed by the House of Lords.
According to Justice Minister Lord McNally (who said that the possibility of a pardon had been under consideration by the government since 2009):
“It is tragic that Alan Turing was convicted of an offence which now seems both cruel and absurd, particularly… given his outstanding contribution to the war effort,” he said.
“However, the law at the time required a prosecution and, as such, long-standing policy has been to accept that such convictions took place and, rather than trying to alter the historical context and to put right what cannot be put right, ensure instead that we never again return to those times.”
UK denies Alan Turing postumous pardon for homosexuality (Forbes)
A previous petition, organised by computer security expert and author, John Graham-Cumming in 2009 led to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown issuing an unequivocal posthumous apology to Mr Turing on behalf of the Government, describing his treatment as “horrifying” and “utterly unfair”.
In his blog post on Monday John Graham-Cunningham wrote:
It’s interesting, to me at least, that the issue of a pardon was considered in 2009 as this was not something I had been asking for. The government’s response makes clear that they do not consider a pardon appropriate.
Widespread Celebrations But No Pardon For Turing (I Programmer)
