German court cancels trial for Auschwitz medic, 94

Citing defendant’s age and dementia, judge rules alleged accomplice in thousands of murders unfit for trial

By JTA 24 June 2015, 1:03 am

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Hubert Z. (Archive of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum)

BERLIN – A German court will not put on trial a 94-year-old man who was charged as an accomplice in thousands of murders at Auschwitz, saying he was mentally unfit to stand trial.

The district court of Neubrandenburg on Monday announced the decision in the case of Hubert Z., a medic at the concentration camp. The defendant suffers from dementia, the court found, and his mental state is worsening with no chance of improvement.

The state prosecutor in Schwerin is considering an appeal, the SVZ online newspaper reported.

Hubert Z. had been charged as an accomplice in the murders of 3,681 people in the Auschwitz gas chambers from Aug. 15, 1944-Sept. 14, 1944. He reportedly was a member of an SS paramilitary unit at the time.

A spokesman for the prosecution, Stefan Urbanek, told SVZ that there also is “evidence that the defendant could stand trial.”

The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania reportedly has investigated an additional 15 cases over the past two decades, but never brought any of them to trial due to a lack of evidence of personal involvement in crimes, according to reports.