Nazi crime cases near end as few perpetrators remain
German war crimes investigators are reaching “the final stages of Nazi persecution” with the youngest potential perpetrators now 97 years old.
The arrival of Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz in the summer of 1944. Photo Allgemeiner Deutscher Nachrichtendienst-Zentralbild (Bild 183), German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons.
“We are still finding suspects, but we are proceeding cautiously and have now reached the final stages of Nazi persecution,” head of the German government office tasked with investigating Nazi-era crimes Thomas Will said.
In an interview with the Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung newspaper released on Sunday, Will said the youngest potential perpetrators were now 97 years old, having been 17 years old during the final year of the war in 1945.
The oldest individual convicted by the office was 101 when brought to trial, Will said, adding that with the suspects’ advanced ages, the office’s ability to continue investigations was now limited, leaving only a few years to pursue leads.
While no new specific preliminary investigations are underway, Will said it was still possible that new suspects could be found.
For each concentration camp, his office has data records on persons not yet located.
“If we were to find them, we could potentially have dozens of further proceedings, though this is highly improbable at this stage,” he said.
According to the newspaper, only one national-level indictment remains open.
The case involves a man accused of aiding and abetting murder in 3322 cases at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin.
While a court initially ruled him unfit to stand trial based on expert testimony, the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court rejected that decision and ordered further examinations.
A judiciary spokesman told the newspaper a final ruling was not expected soon.
DPA
