100-Year-Old Former Nazi Camp Guard Faces Potential Trial for World War II Executions

The former guard has reached the age of 100, yet in murder cases, prosecution remains possible regardless of time passed.

Approximately eight decades following World War II's conclusion and the collapse of Hitler's Nazi regime, a centenarian is under investigation for allegedly serving as a Nazi camp guard and participating in executions.

According to prosecutors, this individual was implicated in killings while employed at Stalag VI A, a prisoner-of-war facility located in Hemer, Germany, between December 1943 and September 1944. The German newspaper Bild initially reported this information on November 22.

Despite the suspect's advanced age of 100 years, murder cases have no statute of limitations, meaning he could still face trial. Prosecutors are currently examining evidence to determine whether formal charges should be filed.

With more than eighty years elapsed since World War II, the window for prosecuting former Nazi camp guards is narrowing rapidly, as most surviving suspects are approximately 100 years old. Many accused individuals have already died or become too frail or ill to stand trial, resulting in numerous abandoned cases.

In 2021, for instance, prosecutors determined that a 96-year-old former camp guard was unfit to stand trial. Josef Schuetz, another former guard who received a five-year sentence in June 2022, passed away less than twelve months later at age 102.

An additional suspected guard from Sachsenhausen camp died before facing charges related to his alleged involvement in over 3,300 prisoner deaths.

The camp, operational between 1939 and 1945, reportedly held more than 200,000 inmates, predominantly Soviet soldiers captured by Nazi forces.

Approximately 24,000 individuals perished in such camps, either directly killed by guards or succumbing to severe conditions including overcrowding, inadequate hygiene, and diseases such as tuberculosis.

While most prisoners originated from the Soviet Union, the camps also held individuals from Poland, France, and Belgium.

Prior to 2011, courts typically required evidence of direct murder to convict individuals for Nazi-era crimes during World War II. However, this standard changed following the conviction of John Demjanjuk, a former guard at the Sobibor death camp.

Demjanjuk was convicted despite the absence of evidence proving he personally killed anyone. His guilt was established based on his contribution to the camp's operations.