Trial Of 96 Year Old Former Nazi Secretary

[naomi24]

A former secretary at a Nazi concentration camp has been captured after trying to flee before her trial in northern Germany. Irmgard Furchner, 96, charged with complicity in 11,000 murders, fled her care home and failed to turn up at court. She has since been discovered and arrested and is awaiting trial.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58747082

The question is should she stand trial after all these years and at her advanced age - or is it too late?

[naomi24]

Courts of this nature must surely consider extenuating circumstances? I hope we see reports of the progress of the trial and the outcome.

[sevenOP]

Every potential opportunity to shed light on what actually happened in WW2 should be seized and be fully exposed, AND be accessible to the Public. Any living witnesses can be a part in exposing the truth that the Public should know and have access to knowing, so she should give testimony as all living witnesses should.

N.B. ... except the Skripals, of course

[douglas9401]

V for vengeance?

[zebo]

I recall in the 80s being out for dinner with a group including a couple of Germans of our age, boomers. There had been a lot on the news about the search for some ex-Nazi and when I commented that it seemed a bit pointless after 40 years the Germans went crazy, No, they had to be sought out, they were very adament.

[vulcan42]

It makes you wonder how much evidence there would be against a teenage female secretary in Nazi Germany.

[mibn2cweus]

Try a 96 year old 18yo typist? Sure, scrape that barrel clean. Why not?

[tiggerblue10]

There nust be significant amount of evidence given that she is being brought to trial. Otherwise what would be the point.

[Khandro]

It's a ridiculous farce! It demonstrates the worse aspects of both Jews & Germans.

[dannyk13]

Looks like age is no bar to the prosecution of those accused of war crimes.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/30/europe/german-96-year-old-nazi-intl-grm/index.html

[Khandro]

If a crime was committed many years ago, a sentence often no longer makes sense. For this reason, there is the so-called statute of limitations. After a certain period has elapsed, a criminal offence can no longer be prosecuted.

Excluded from the statute of limitations are particularly serious criminal offences such as murder, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

As she, as an 18 year old typist, undoubtedly committed none of these crimes, this case should never have been pursued.

[dannyk13]

Khandro // undoubtedly committed none of these crimes, //
Have you some knowledge of the circumstances of the alleged crime that makes you say that?

[fender62]

can't see what an 18yr old typist could have done to harm anyone
minus herself with paper cuts and gluey mouth from envelopes and probably rsi in the wrist, but let the witch hunt continue.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - // As she, as an 18 year old typist, undoubtedly committed none of these crimes, this case should never have been pursued. //

Clearly people who know far more about the circumstances than you or I, see it differently.

Obviously there is more to it than first appears.

[Khandro]

ah //Obviously there is more to it than first appears.//

Yes, money.

[dannyk13]

Khandro, how does money come into this?

[Khandro]

danny: For a good fee (& Simon Rosenthal's pockets are deep) some lawyers would prosecute their own grandmothers.

[dannyk13]

Khandro, surely it will be a state prosecutor.

[fiveleaves]

I am as firm a supporter of Israel and the Jewish people as they come, but I don't see any case in putting a 96 year old on trial.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Yes, she needs to face a trial. It's late, but not too late.

[andy-hughes]

fiveleaves - // ... but I don't see any case in putting a 96 year old on trial. //

Then you appear in line with the argument that once a certain age is reached, justice need no longer be sought.

But that is a slippery slope.

Who decides what that 'cut-off' age is - and for what crimes?

Is it the same regardless of the crime?

The simplest way is for justice to follow its processes, and avoid sowing the seed of a notion that once a yet-to-be-determined age is reached, all justice is simply abandoned.