A Dutch survivor of the Holocaust has urged the court in Munich to release John Demjanjuk, the alleged Nazi camp guard, after convicting him. "Out of my respect for my humanist parents," said 90-year-old Jules Schelvis, "I ask the court to enter a finding of guilty against this aged man, who has already spent nine years in jail, but not to punish him."
Jules Schelvis and his wife were deported to the Sobibor death camp in 1943. He was then sent on to another camp. That was his salvation from the gas chambers. 177,000 other Jews - including his wife - were not so lucky.
John Demjanjuk is charged with helping to murder nearly 28,000 Jews and others during the six months he is alleged to have spent in Sobibor. Prosecutors have called for Demjanjuk to be sentenced to six years in jail for his alleged actions.
• In the news: Dutch Jews urge Demjanjuk conviction
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Justice has been very spotty. Many who aggressively pursued genocide escaped punishment or were imprisoned a few years. Relatively few were hanged or committed suicide in prison. Does this old man deserve to suffer incarceration for the sins he committed as a young man serving the Nazi's in a death camp? We all suffer for things we've done or not done in the past. It's called consequences and they follow you for a lifetime. Demjanjuk is old, and this gives him time to reflect and atone before he dies, if he is capable or interested. I'd have no problem if they hanged him, but that's not in the cards, and might be doing him a favor. BTW, The Nazi POW guard who shot my GI cousin in the back was sentenced to hang in a US military trial. 5 years later, the verdict was reversed by an appeals officer. Political considerations had changed - the US faced a belligerant Soviet Union empire, former Nazi's were recruited for their expertise, and Germany wanted us to forget all that nazi prosecution business. This sargeant was responsible for more than just one GI's murder; his cruelty and venality (stealing Red Cross packages and selling them) contributed to the deaths of over 100 American GI's from exhaustion, malnutrition, disease. He deserved to hang.
Forgiving someone is great. It's good for your soul and your body as hate degrades and contributes to deterioration.
Should he be released? No, I don't think so.
However, if a Holocaust survivor can ask for his release who am I to deny it?
Very touching!
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