The regional court sentenced the 97-year-old man to a juvenile sentence of two years on probation on Tuesday. From June 1943 to April 1945 the accused worked as a civil servant at the Stutthof headquarters near Danzig. In doing so, she assisted the concentration camp handlers in the systematic killing of inmates.
Proceedings before the Youth Chamber
As she was only 18 to 19 years old at the time of the crime, the trial took place in front of a juvenile chamber. With the sentence, the court accepted the demand of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The defense had asked for acquittal. The 15 representatives of the deputy prosecutor broadly adhered to the public prosecutor’s request for punishment.
“Justice has no expiration date”
“The 98-year-old defendant received her guilty verdict for being an accessory to several thousand murders. The state’s criminal law cannot do more in terms of substance,” explained lawyer Hans-Jürgen Förster, who represented four survivors of Stutthof as joint and several plaintiffs. “Justice has no expiration date and a long memory – if there are people who feel obliged to do so. This is a sign that can be seen from afar, especially these days”, emphasizes Christoph Heubner, executive vice president of the International Auschwitz Committee.
Survivor on site and historical experience
Proceedings began on September 30, 2021. During the 40-day hearing, the court heard eight of the 31 joint plaintiffs as witnesses. Camp survivors reported suffering and mass deaths in Stutthof. The most important witness, however, was the history expert Stefan Hördler, who presented his report in 14 sessions. The defense filed a motion to bias against him, which the court rejected.
The defendant was initially unwilling to face the lawsuit. On the first day of the trial, she disappeared early in the morning from her retirement home in Quickborn (District of Pinneberg). Hours later, police arrested her on a street in Hamburg. The court issued an arrest warrant. The then 96-year-old spent five days in custody.
“I regret I was in Stutthof at the time”
Only at the end of the process did she break the silence. “I’m sorry for everything that happened,” she said in her last words. The 97-year-old added: “I’m sorry I was at Stutthof at the time. That’s all I can say.”