German court finds prisoners in Stutthof camp in occupied Poland “in his cruel and malicious murder” sentenced defendant Irmgard Furchner to a two-year suspended sentence for allegedly playing a role.
Furchner broke his silence about the accusations for the first time by expressing his regret at the hearing that ended, AFP reported. Furchner at the Itzehoe city court “I’m sorry for everything that happened” said.
The 97-year-old former Nazi secretary has become the first woman to be prosecuted for Nazi-era crimes in Germany in 77 years.
The former Nazi secretary tried to escape to the subway station from the nursing home where she stayed in September 2021 before the trial started. The woman, who managed to hide from the police for several hours before she was caught in the city of Hamburg, remained in custody for five days after she was caught.
Furchner’s lawyers sought acquittal, arguing that the evidence presented did not conclusively prove that Furchner was aware of the murders.
“LAST EXAMPLE OF ITS KIND”
The accused woman was tried in juvenile court because she was a teenager when she committed the alleged crimes.
Prosecutors in Stutthof camp “Jewish prisoners, Polish partisans and Soviet Russian POWs” He said that about 65,000 people died, including
Furchner worked in the office of camp commander Paul Werner Hoppe from June 1943 to April 1945. According to the lawsuit filed against him, the Nazi officer wrote down Hoppe’s orders and conducted his correspondence.
Prosecutor Maxi Wantzen asked the judges to give a two-year suspended sentence, the longest sentence that can be served without jail time.
Prosecutor Wantzen, “This case is of extraordinary historical importance. Due to the passage of time (This case) is potentially the last of its kind” made a statement.
Wantzen thanked the witnesses, many of whom also served as co-plaintiffs, and said of their experiences at the camp. “hellish” he said what he said. wantzen, “Even though they have to go through the pain over and over to get it done, they feel it’s their duty” said.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
The prosecutor tells the judges that the defendant’s clerical “makes the camp run smoothly” and to himself “Information about all events and developments in Stutthof” He said he gave
such as food and drink shortages and the spread of deadly diseases, including typhus. “life-threatening conditions” Emphasizing that it was carried out deliberately, the prosecutor said that this situation was immediately noticed.
Wantzen, despite the defendant’s advanced age, “It is still important to have such a hearing today” and said that as the survivors die, the historical record will be complete.
Seventy-seven years after the end of World War II, time is running out for Holocaust-related criminals to be brought to justice.
In recent years, many cases have been dropped because the defendants died or were physically unable to appear in court.
The 2011 conviction of former guard John Demjanjuk for serving as part of Hitler’s killing machine set a legal precedent and paved the way for many lawsuits.
Since then, courts have delivered multiple convictions on these grounds, rather than murders or atrocities directly related to the defendants.
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