I am not sure about this trial, unless the prosecution can prove that this guy personally had any influence on the murders I don’t see how he can be held culpable. If they can prove that, fine, if not, this seems like a circus for circus’ sake.
I agree. War crimes trials were originally intended for the higher ups. Policy makers, high ranking officers and Party leaders. Going after lowly 93 year old camp guards 70 years after the war ended seems to me to be a bit over the top. What did he actually do in the camp? Was he herding people into the gas chambers, or was simply guarding the fence? I don’t believe in guilt by association. If we’re going to go after aging camp guards it seems to me we could find many thousands of them in the former USSR which slaughtered millions more people than the Nazis did.
Could the man have requested another assignment for conscience sake? Unless he can prove that he was forced into his role, he shares culpability (like the driver in a robbery.)
In the immediate aftermath of the war the allied powers determined the ss to be a war criminal organization making all of its members (prior to 1944 when conscription began to take place)subject to war crimes trials. So you didn’t have to be directly involved in the extermination process to be charged with something. hence the ‘accessory to murder’ charge he is facing. all of the allies and the soviets held trials for even low to mid lvl members. and after the war the respective german govts continued to prosecute former members upon discovery but most were able to evade prosecution by hiding their involvement.
The guy was an SS sergeant,the SS members had to meet the political standards of the Nazi party.Plus,each and every one of them read Mein Kamph from cover to cover-they knew why they were there and what was expected of them.