Nazi-accused secretary (96) tried to escape from trial – VG

Furchner was 18 years old when she worked as a secretary in the office of the management of the concentration camp in Stutthof, near Gdansk in Poland. This was the first concentration camp built by the German National Socialists outside Germany.

Prosecutors believe the now 96-year-old woman helped those responsible carry out systematic killings of Jewish prisoners, Polish political opponents and Soviet prisoners of war through her job as secretary.

Would not come

Due to her advanced age, it has been considered whether she was able to appear in court, which the court after careful reflection found that she was. However, the woman was not so keen on appearing in court, who cannot process the case against her without her presence.

Since Furchner was so young when the events she is accused of happened, the case was going to the juvenile court. The judge asked for “some patience”, as Furchner had not shown up, the website writes.
But the 96-year-old woman did not show up. Frederike Milhoffer, a spokeswoman for the court, says that she “would not come” to court so she decided to “go on the run”, writes The Daily Beast.

Considering imprisonment

Milhoffer tells the website that authorities said Furchner was reluctant to appear in court, but that they did not expect her to run away because of her age and condition.

An arrest warrant was issued for the woman and after a few hours she was arrested. A doctor is now assessing whether she is in good health to be imprisoned until a new trial, the website writes.

They also write that the American-born Israeli Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff, has stated that if “she is healthy enough to escape, she is healthy enough to be imprisoned.

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