World War II British code-breaker Alan Turing, who was subjected to chemical castration for homosexual activity, has been pardoned by the Queen.
The royal pardon, under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy, is effective today and comes nearly 60 years after Turing committed suicide.
Turing’s code-breaking work is considered by many to have helped change the course of the war and save thousands of lives. He was best known for developing the Bombe code-breaking machine that deciphered German-encoded messages.
“Dr. Turing deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science,” British Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement today. “A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man.”
Turing was castrated in 1952 after being convicted of homosexual activity which was illegal at the time. Grayling added that Turing’s punishment “…is a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed.”
At the time, Turing chose castration as an alternative to prison and two years later ended his life by eating an apple laced with cyanide. He was 41.
In 2009, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologized for Turing’s treatment by the justice system in the 1950s. Brown described Turing’s sentence as “appalling.”
“Alan Turing was a remarkable man who played a key role in saving this country in World War II by cracking the German enigma code,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said. “His action saved countless lives. He also left a remarkable national legacy through his substantial scientific achievements, often being referred to as the ‘father of modern computing.’ “
