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[CrazyDude]

The charges are related to deaths at the Auschwitz concentration camp

German prosecutors have charged a 91-year-old woman who allegedly worked at the Nazis’ Auschwitz camp with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder.

A spokesperson for the prosecutors in Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein state said Monday that the woman is a former radio operator for the camp’s commandant and that she appears fit for trial, according to the BBC.

She is not the only one to have recently faced charges over a supporting role in running the camps. Oskar Groening, known as “the bookkeeper of Auschwitz” who sorted money from prisoners, was convicted of 300,000 counts of accessory to murder in July and sentenced to four years in prison. He still has time to appeal the judgment.

http://time.com/4045628/woman-charged-auchswitz-deaths/

You don't really hear of women being charged of Nazi crimes or at least I have yet to before this point.

 

[boiled goose]

Knew it was nazi related

 

[Tagyhag]

She was just a radio operator? Man let her be.

 

[frontovik]

She should certainly go on trial to answer for her crimes. However, at her age, I don't think she should be handed a prison sentence; she will have to continue living with any guilt for the rest of her life.

She was just a radio operator? Man let her be.

I agree. The Auschwitz bookkeeper certainly deserved prison time, but I don't see any point in going after a radio operator.

 

[sikkinixx]

She was just a radio operator? Man let her be.

Unless there is something more to her role I agree.

Why not go after the farmers who raised food to feed the nazis that worked on the camps? Why not go after every people who was a member of the nazi party period then?

 

[OniBarubary]

Seems a bit silly to me

 

[Regiruler]

Defaulted to florida, (sort of) glad to be wrong for once

 

[DarthWoo]

http://time.com/4045628/woman-charged-auchswitz-deaths/

You don't really hear of women being charged of Nazi crimes or at least I have yet to before this point.

They actually hanged quite a few of them right after the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutthof_trials (warning: photos of the hangings)

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

Ahem

She is not the only one to have recently faced charges over a supporting role in running the camps. Oskar Groening, known as “the bookkeeper of Auschwitz” who sorted money from prisoners, was convicted of 300,000 counts of accessory to murder in July and sentenced to four years in prison

4 years. Assuming she gets similar, she could actually be released before her death, lol

 

[ElTorro]

Such high figures can only be Nazi-related.

Don't know the details of this story, but pressing charges 70(!) years after the fact can only be a symbolic act.

 

[Africanus]

I didn't agree with the book keeper, and I don't agree with this charge. Attempting to imprison people tangentially related to the Nazi regime now when they allowed so many of them free passage to the Americas in the 40s and 50s appears as a petty sense of lashing out. Unless the woman's position as a radio operator was crucial to the concentration camp, I see no reason to continue.

 

[boiled goose]

She was just a radio operator? Man let her be.

If she knew what was going on she should answer for her crimes.

 

[Oersted]

Can we leave G/A/F to stuff where people acted dumb and silly?

Such accusations feel a little bit too heavy for such a game.

 

[Foffy]

..Was it bad I thought Florida before Nazi Germany?

 

[Buddha Beam]

I'd rather just let her be. Stuff like this is always like the definition of a Pyrrhic victory.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

If she knew what was going on she should answer for her crimes.

If she was just a radio operator what could she really do otherwise?

Your only real option would be to go AWOL and flee Germany.

 

[VARIA]

I always find these war crimes charges interesting. I mean, most countries are accountable for some really atrocious shit during war.

 

[Skeyser]

If she knew what was going on she should answer for her crimes.

I mean, she probably had the choice to do what was asked of her or be sent herself to a camp. I don't think it's fair to punish people who played small roles during the war.

 

[Walpurgis]

This is very stupid.

 

[Tagyhag]

If she knew what was going on she should answer for her crimes.

Yeah, she should have refused to do her job when she found out, at least then she would have died over 70 years ago and gotten it over with.

 

[Messypandas]

I don't think this accomplishes anything constructive.

 

[Oersted]

I mean, she probably had the choice to do what was asked of her or be sent herself to a camp. I don't think it's fair to punish people who played small roles during the war.

Yeah, she should have refused to do her job when she found out, at least then she would have died over 70 years ago and gotten it over with.

It has been throughout debunked that refusal meant death. Don't try to make it relevant.

You don't really hear of women being charged of Nazi crimes or at least I have yet to before this point.

Ravensbrück.

 

[Bodacious]

Defaulted to florida, (sort of) glad to be wrong for once

Germany/Austria/Finland this time.

 

[Tagyhag]

It has been throughout debunked that refusal meant death. Don't try make it relevant.

If that's true then I doubt she wouldn't have any sort of reprimand for refusing orders.

 

[A Human Becoming]

Defaulted to florida, (sort of) glad to be wrong for once

I thought this would somehow be about abortion.

 

[Northeastmonk]

This is very stupid.

I'm one to understand when age and time have run their course and paying for your crime may seem pointless, but she is accountable for the slaughter of 11 million people.

If we forget one charge then we've forgotten what it meant for so many people to die for nothing.

I say the people that died deserve everyone paying a price, regardless of how old they are. This isn't about age.

Edit: When I say everyone, I mean those involved.

 

[Slayven]

I don't think this accomplishes anything constructive.

Lets folks know they will never forget nor forgive

 

[Oersted]

If that's true then I doubt she wouldn't have any sort of reprimand for refusing orders.

A reprimand is obviously not a valied enough reason to committ crimes.

 

[davepoobond]

Was any German from back then not conscripted or forced to be in the military? I don't know how much choice people had in the matter considering the whole country was basically under fascist rule

Or was there an actual German rebel force?

 

[Oersted]

Was any German from back then not conscripted or forced to be in the military?

Nope. And there were several army ranks. Famous volunteer was literature noble prize-winner Günther Grass.

Or was there an actual German rebel force?

I don't get the 'or' part. Yes, there was and yes, they were persecuted. But you know, there is goddamn obvious difference between a rebel, not enlisting in the army and enlisting in the army.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

Why weren't these people charged back then? Were they in hiding?

 

[Oersted]

Why weren't these people charged back then? Were they in hiding?

These people? You mean her?

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

These people? You mean her?

Her and Oskar Gröning

 

[Oersted]

Her and Oskar Gröning

I guess justice was served, but just like with the old guy they recently put in jail these people are like 90+ year old. Seems almost pointless. Why not sooner?

Long list of reasons. First there wasn't really a interest by the german state to persecute the crimes. Didn't help that many Nazis remained in the justice and law system. That started to change with Fritz Bauer in the 60ties who had to do a uphill battle to persecute Nazis.

The biggest legal challenge was to prove guilt of murder. Concentrations camps weren't your classic "person x kills person y" murder.

These 2 specific cases have been revisited due to the convicting of John Demjanjuk and people involved in 9/11.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I guess justice was served, but just like with the old guy they recently put in jail these people are like 90+ year old. Seems almost pointless. Why not sooner?

 

[cntr]

Is it bad that I'm assuming that they did this to drum up support for the ruling parties?

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

She was just a radio operator? Man let her be.

No this isn't about her. This is about justice and society at large.

 

[Damaniel]

Lets folks know they will never forget nor forgive

Never forgetting is *really* important, but grabbing up and subjecting 90+ year olds only tangentially related to the Nazi atrocities to trial is still a huge waste of time. At this rate, how long until we start digging up former Nazis and trying them posthumously just to make a point?

 

[Lothar]

If she knew what was going on she should answer for her crimes.

At her age, chances are she doesn't even remember it. It probably might as well have been a different person that did it.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

I feel that in another two months we'll see a janitor from Nazi Germany being trialed for the same thing.

But yes, I wonder why now and not 2 years ago. Or earlier. It seems they were not hiding. But I think it's fair people want justice against this woman. Even if she was a radio operator. BTW, I don't think this is productive either.

 

[Isak_Borg]

I feel that in another two months we'll see a janitor from Nazi Germany being trialed for the same thing.

But yes, I wonder why now and not 2 years ago. Or earlier. It seems they were not hiding. But I think it's fair people want justice against this woman. Even if she was a radio operator. BTW, I don't think this is productive either.

All Nazi's still living should be dragged out of their houses in the middle of the night and shot.

 

[bill0527]

Sounds like something we would do in America.

Spending a lot of tax payer money and tying up the courts with bullshit prosecutions.

What makes this ridiculous is the age of the perp. I could see pushing this if she were 20 years younger. But at her age... this is only symbolic and not really worth the time or effort.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

All Nazi's still living should be dragged out of their houses in the middle of the night and shot.

Even this one? (Well he's not alive, but imagine if he were)

 

[Oersted]

Never forgetting is *really* important, but grabbing up and subjecting 90+ year olds only tangentially related to the Nazi atrocities to trial is still a huge waste of time. At this rate, how long until we start digging up former Nazis and trying them posthumously just to make a point?

Thats a really dumb version of slippery slope. Like really, really dumb.

At her age, chances are she doesn't even remember it. It probably might as well have been a different person that did it.

That doesn't make any sense.

I feel that in another two months we'll see a janitor from Nazi Germany being trialed for the same thing.

Another amusingly silly version of the slippery slope. And also not possible.

Sounds like something we would do in America.

Spending a lot of tax payer money and tying up the courts with bullshit prosecutions.

What makes this ridiculous is the age of the perp. I could see pushing this if she were 20 years younger. But at her age... this is only symbolic and not really worth the time or effort.

When we talk about the systematic mass murder of around 6 million people, pretty much everything ends up symbolic. I don't see how that is not worth it.

 

[Isak_Borg]

Sounds like something we would do in America.

Spending a lot of tax payer money and tying up the courts with bullshit prosecutions.

What makes this ridiculous is the age of the perp. I could see pushing this if she were 20 years younger. But at her age... this is only symbolic and not really worth the time or effort.

Symbols matter and people should be held accountable for their actions.

I don't care if she was the sweetest old lady in the world. She was part of a government and military that committed one of the worst atrocities in human history.

and as far as Claus Von Stauffenberg, Nazi party took care of that fuck.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Another amusingly silly version of the slippery slope. And also not possible.

I kind of blame my line of thought on the consideration that military service in my country is pretty much enforced, with the exception of a few people. I have no idea if this woman decided on her own volition to serve the Nazi regime or if women were made to have military work. But from what I've read from this thread makes me thing she willingly accepted it. Still, it makes me think whether or not she knew that the Nazis were systematically killing the Jewish people. Seeing pictures from German soldiers seeing images from camps makes me think that a lot of Germans did not know at the time what was being done. It also makes wonder if she wanted out, but she was not able and thus had to endure doing this, or if she was still sympathetic to the Nazi's cause.

There's really no way for me to say either way. (I realize I didn't really address your point, sorry, but yea, slippery slope)

and as far as Claus Von Stauffenberg, Nazi party took care of that fuck.

Yeah, fuck the guy who tried to kill Hitler (in several instances too)

 

[Isak_Borg]

I kind of blame my line of thought on the consideration that military service in my country is pretty much enforced, with the exception of a few people. I have no idea if this woman decided on her own volition to serve the Nazi regime or if women were made to have military work. But from what I've read from this thread makes me thing she willingly accepted it. Still, it makes me think whether or not she knew that the Nazis were systematically killing the Jewish people. Seeing pictures from German soldiers seeing images from camps makes me think that a lot of Germans did not know at the time what was being done. It also makes wonder if she wanted out, but she was not able and thus had to endure doing this, or if she was still sympathetic to the Nazi's cause.

There's really no way for me to say either way. (I realize I didn't really address your point, sorry, but yea, slippery slope)



Yeah, fuck the guy who tried to kill Hitler.

Is it better to die a decent human being or engage in horrendous acts to continue your existence?

I would rather die than associate myself with a group that was committing genocide.

Edit: He was still a willing member of the Nazi party.

Not sure why thinking Nazis need to die is such a controversial stance.

 

[phaonaut]

Nazi's sure do live a long time.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Is it better to die a decent human being or engage in horrendous acts to continue your existence?

I would rather die than associate myself with a group that was committing genocide.

Edit: He was still a willing member of the Nazi party.

A willing member whose purpose to be in the party was to dismantle it.

EDIT: BTW, how would you know they were committing genocide, when many of the soldiers didn't know until after the fact? Hindsight is one hell of a thing.

 

[MultiJhonny]

Nazi's sure do live a long time.

dem science experiments

but in all seriousness what is the point of charging a 91 year old with this... I mean I know what they did was wrong back 70 years ago but still charging a 91 year old doesn't really seem like it will accomplish anything