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Former Stutthof Concentration Camp Secretary Dies Following Conviction for Aiding Mass Murder
A 99-year-old woman, previously a secretary at the Nazi Stutthof concentration camp, has died after being convicted of aiding and abetting the murder of over 10,000 individuals. Prosecutors announced her death on Monday, confirming her role in facilitating mass killings between June 1943 and April 1945 at the Stutthof camp in occupied Poland. This case was considered a landmark in German legal history regarding Nazi war crimes.
Death Confirmed
The deceased, identified as Irmgard F. in accordance with German privacy regulations, passed away on January 14, according to a spokesperson for the prosecution. Her death concludes a highly publicized legal saga in Germany.
Significance of the Trial
Landmark Nazi War Crimes Case
The legal proceedings against Irmgard F. garnered significant media attention in Germany. It was widely regarded as potentially the last criminal trial in the country addressing the atrocities of the Nazi regime. Furthermore, her conviction marked a precedent as the first instance of a civilian employee being found culpable for crimes perpetrated within the concentration camp system.
Legal Recourse Exhausted
Appeal Rejected by Federal Court of Justice
In August of the previous year, Germany’s highest court, the Federal Court of Justice, upheld the prior guilty verdict. They dismissed her appeal against the sentence initially delivered by the Itzehoe Regional Court, located north of Hamburg, in December 2022, effectively finalizing her conviction.
Details of the Sentence
Suspended Juvenile Sentence
The Itzehoe Regional Court had previously condemned Irmgard F. to a two-year suspended youth sentence. This sentence was for her complicity in aiding and abetting murder in 10,505 cases, along with attempted murder in an additional five instances. The leniency in sentencing, applying juvenile law, was due to her age being under 21 years old during the period of her offenses.
Role at Stutthof
Typist in Commandant’s Office
During her employment at Stutthof Nazi concentration camp, Irmgard F. served as a typist within the commandant’s office. At the time, Stutthof was situated near Danzig, then known as the Free City of Danzig, and presently Gdańsk in Poland. She was 18 to 19 years of age during her tenure at the camp.
Aiding Systematic Killings
The regional court determined that through her clerical duties, Irmgard F. had actively contributed to the systematic extermination of prisoners at Stutthof. The court reasoned that even seemingly auxiliary roles could be legally interpreted as aiding and abetting murder, given their contribution to the overall machinery of death within the camp.