Seventy long years after the end of WWII, charges are still being brought against those who participated in the attempted annihilation of the Jewish population.
A currently unidentified German woman is facing charges for her former role at Auschwitz. Though women played a variety of roles in the Schutzstaffel (SS) the 91-year-old woman is believed to have been a radio operator at Auschwitz and is being charged as an accessory to the murders of 260,000 prisoners. Telegraph
With only 50 convicted members of the approximately 6,500 surviving Auschwitz SS personnel (Telegraph), it is no real surprise that these convictions and arrests are continuing. Just two months ago, German courts convicted another former SS soldier. 94-year-old Oskar Groening was found guilty of 300,000 counts of accessory to murder, and will serve four years in prison. USA Today
“I thank Germany for eventually putting him on trial, although that should have happened decades ago, and although many other perpetrators never had to stand trial for their crimes.” Says Angela Orosz-Richt, a 70-year-old Holocaust survivor who testified at Groening’s trial.
The continued arrests of former SS personnel, even 70 years after the crimes they committed took place, will continue to give survivors like Orosz-Richt hope, and will show all perpetrators guilty of genocide over the years that the international community will hold them responsible for their actions.