German Courts Finds Camp Guard Guilty of Holocaust Crimes

A German court found John Demjanjuk guilty for his role in the killing of tens of thousands of Jews at a Nazi death camp.

Demjanjuk was a guard at the Sobibor camp in Poland during World War Two.

The court had sentenced the 91-year-old to five years in prison, but given his old age, they ordered his immediate release.

A defense lawyer said the verdict was not as bad as expected.

An attorney for one of the plaintiffs says justice has come too late for his client.

[Stefan Schuenemann, Attorney for Co-Plaintiff]:

„From the view of Mister Berlowitz and Mister Blatt who had both been in Sobibor, it is too late for justice, to speak plainly. After 70 years there is no way to right the things that had happened, so that the people involved can gain from this. Justice – as far as it is possible – has been done to some extent as far as my clients are concerned but it didn’t help them.“

One woman who had family in Sobibor says she is pleased with the verdict.

[Vera Dejong, Victim]:

„I’m relieved, very much, much relieved that I don’t have to have all the stress every time that I have to come and sit here and hear all the horrible things, what happened during the war and what happened to my family.“

Ukrainian born Demjanjuk, who was once top of the list of most wanted Nazi war criminal, claims he was drafted into the Soviet army in 1941, then taken prisoner by the Germans.

Foto: NTD