The criminal prosecution of homosexuals in Liechtenstein

Fachbereich(e):
Law, History
Forschungsbereich(e):
History of Law, Social History
Hauptverantwortliche Person(en):
Mag. Lukas Ospelt

Until 2001, homosexuals in Liechtenstein were subject to varying degrees of criminal prosecution based on the Austrian model. The Liechtenstein Penal Code of 1859 threatened “fornication against nature” with severe imprisonment and even the Liechtenstein Penal Code of 1987 still had four special provisions with sometimes severe penalties for homosexual activity.
 

The aim of the research project is to review the relevant criminal jurisprudence in the Principality of Liechtenstein. On the one hand, the aim is to record the number of cases, and on the other, to present typical and special cases as well as the development of case law over the decades. The focus is on cases involving consensual sexual contact between a man and a woman that was never punishable by law. In a further step, the description of the development of the law will be embedded in the presentation of the socio-political and mental changes in the country.
 

Project duration: 2024/2025