A former Waffen SS soldier, age 88, was charged by German prosecutors with helping to carry out the horrendous massacre of 642 men, women and children in a French village in 1944.
United Press International reported the man has only been identified as Werner C., but that he’s been charged with “the murder of 25 people … and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred people,” prosecutors said.
Werner was 19-years-old during the incident, which took place at the village of Oradour-sur-Glane.
He said in his defense that he was present at the village during the Nazi slaughter, but that he wasn’t actually involved “in the murders,” UPI reported.
Men, women and children in the town were simply rounded up in the local church, which was then set on fire. French President Charles de Gaulle ordered the remains of the church and the entire village to be preserved as a memorial, shortly after the war ended.
Werner is believed to be one of six former SS soldiers involved in the assault who are still alive, prosecutors said, UPI reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.