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?

[steg]

Aye she should, justice should not have a ‘sell by date’

[davebro]

As long as she is mentally competent she should face justice imv.

[emmie]

she should face trial, others have and been sent to prison.

[Peter Pedant]

it is too late
even the sixties were too late (+)

nineties much too late - Ivan Jemjanuk
though some good films on it
( his identity pass photo had a clip mark on it showing it had been recycled. But recycled when, by whom and with what intent ?)

Here ( in the instant case) the Feds are saying that the accused was a secretary, and was complicit therefore, and both sides agree she didnt shovel anyone into anything

(+) isnt this the first case of a witness saying - - - he was the butcher of XYZ - his staring eyes, his foul breath, his fiendish laugh.....
and the defence said " that is very odd - here you are on film in 1946 saying the exact opposite". My father commented on it. ALso occurred in the DemJanJuk case, where the Prosecution ended up "OK accepted but we know he was very evil - can you convict him please"

Long post for - oral testimony and memory may conflict with written records to a large degree showing how important the records are

[1ozzy]

Think about her terms of employment in those dark days as a young person.
Turn a blind eye?
Live or die?

[1ozzy]

She took dictation , it allowed her to survive what many didn't.
Doubt she wrote the policy at the time

[tiggerblue10]

She seemed fully capable of fleeing her care home and not turning up at court so yes, she should stand trial, no matter what her age.

[webbo3]

Yes and no its not too late.

[andy-hughes]

Some murderers would heave a sigh of relief to know that the passage of time offers a winning post, past which they can be assured that justice has been cheated.

The families of their victims would be less impressed.

You don't get to swerve punishment by the unavoidable process of living to be older than your victims were allowed.

[davebro]

Of course she might be found not guilty!

[naomi24]

Yes indeed, dave. if the court considers 1ozzy's thoughts on it - //Turn a blind eye? Live or die?// …. what then? Is she guilty or not guilty?

[TheChair]

So, an eighteen year old girl is "do this job". What should she have done? What would you have done at that age in Nazi Germany?
Said "Nope, screw that - execute me instead"?

[royfromaus]

She should stand trial if the evidence against her is there.

We don't know enough about the case to say whether she was complicit or was just doing what most of us would do which is ensuring self-preservation. That's what a trial will help decide.

[burlyshirley]

I too think she should face a trial.

[ToraToraTora]

damn savage....etc

[ladybirder]

I'm not sure. Was she forced to work for the Nazis? Did she apply for the job, did she have a choice?
IF she applied for the job, as a teenager, did she realise what the Nazis were doing? If she did then I think she should stand trial. If she didn't realise then possibly not as she was probably too frightened to do other than instructed.

[Redhelen72]

I am really torn on this one part of me wants to yell yes but the other part is wondering if she did what she did to save lives of her family and herself.
It’s a difficult one

[dannyk13]

If there are any extnuating circumstances I am sure her defence solicitor, assuming she has one, will bring them out in court.

[rowanwitch]

I suppose the status and disempowerment of women at that time is her biggest defence. In a strongly patriarchal country ( not termed a fatherland for nothing) I doubt she had any scope for free will. I think a trial with a verdict that reflects the coercive regime at the time would be fair.

[AuntPG]

How has it taken over 60 years to find her? She was a typist for goodness' sake, not a criminal. Things happen in War, to be a part of these things does not mean complicity. Bring it up to date, if a young girl was forced to do a similar job for the Taliban, on pain of death to herself and family, would she be later brought to trial in the West? She would more than likely be classed as a victim.