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Nazi war crime charges: 91-year-old woman charged with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder while working at Auschwitz

The woman, believed to be a member of the SS, was a radio operator for the camp commandant

Monday 21 September 2015 21:35 BST
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The main gate entering the Nazi Auschwitz death camp
The main gate entering the Nazi Auschwitz death camp

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German prosecutors have charged a 91-year-old woman with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder over allegations she was a member of the Nazi SS who served in the Auschwitz death camp complex.

Schleswig-Holstein prosecutors' spokesman Heinz Doellel said the woman, whose name was not disclosed due to German privacy laws, is alleged to have served as a radio operator for the camp commandant from April to July 1944.

Prosecutors argue that she can be charged as an accessory because she helped the death camp function.

A 94-year-old former SS sergeant at Auschwitz was convicted on the same reasoning earlier this year.

Mr Doellel says there are no indications the woman is unfit for trial, though a court likely won't decide on whether to proceed with the case until next year.

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