86-Year-Old SS Killer Faces Murder Charges
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(Der Speigel, April 14, 2008) The article, "86-Year-Old SS Killer Faces Murder Charges," reports on what could be the last war crimes trial to take place in Germany. In this case, an elderly SS soldier might be put on trial for shooting three unarmed Dutch civilians in 1944.
May 14, 2008
Discussion Questions
- Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wisenthal Center in Jerusalem says, "The passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the perpetrator. If we were to set a chronological limit on prosecution we would be saying you could get away with genocide, which is morally outrageous." Do you agree with Zuroff's argument? What is the point of prosecuting an 86-year-old man for crimes committed when he was 33 years old?
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What is the purpose of war crimes trials?
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What does justice mean after horrible atrocities such as the Holocaust?
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To what extent can survivors heal if perpetrators are not tried for the crimes they committed?
Note: The media selections posted in Facing Today do not necessarily represent the views of Facing History and Ourselves.
