101-Year-Old Ex-Guard at Nazi Camp Is Convicted by German Court

[BigDemVoter]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: New York Times

101-year-old convicted in German court for Nazi crimes.




Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/28/world/europe/ex-nazi-guard-convicted-germany.html

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While I am happy to see Germany taking the initiative to chase down Nazis, this should have been done immediately after the war. I am glad this individual had to answer for his actions, but I'm not 100% sure how I feel should he have to serve time.

It isn't that I doubt or belittle the suffering people endured; I just haven't decided (or don't know) whether sending such old people to prison serves a point or not. Maybe it does? I truly don't know.

[peppertree]

1. SO late in coming - but better he die behind bars than not; better late than never

In Argentina, they didn't really start prosecuting Dirty War perpetrators - who killed at least 22,000 people, by their own admission - until after Néstor Kirchner took office in 2003.

That was 25-28 years after most crimes, and the perps were mostly in their 70s by then.

Some 1,070 officers and officials have been convicted since then, plus another 516 indicted and 560 more charged.

For the victims and their families, it meant closure - or at least, knowing that their government is actually prosecuting such crimes (rather than pretending they never happened, as in most of the rest of Latin America - at least until recently).

Because justice, as Glenn Kirschner (no relation) points out, matters.

[VMA131Marine]

2. The important thing is the conviction

It seems unlikely that he will actually spend time in prison because of his advanced age and apparent ill-health.

[secondwind]

3. Sentenced to five years in prison.. for 3,500 murders

[TygrBright]

4. There should be NO statute of limitations for this kind of justice. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

5. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

Over 12 hours old when posted and a dupe of https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142935981

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