German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’ post on Twitter on the anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials has sparked backlash from social media users and commentators. In the entry, the head of German diplomacy called the perpetrators of Second World War crimes “men” and did not define their nationality as German.

“Exactly 75 years ago, the Nuremberg trials were initiated. Men responsible for the most heinous crimes in history were judged before the court. Despite the weight of the crimes bearing upon the accused, the judges gave them a just trial. This was a triumph of civilization over barbarity,” he wrote. 

Moreover, German ambassador to Poland Arndt Freytag von Loringhovenused exactly the same word “men” while posting his tweet on Nuremberg trials anniversary in Polish.

Social media users immediately accused the German politician of refusing to cite the nationality of the criminals.

Historian and professor Grzegorz Kucharczyk of the Polish Academy of Sciences stressed, in context of Maas’s tweet, that “one might guess that maybe the statement concerned men who knew what they wanted and were adults who were aware of their crimes. If this statement is interpreted in this way — although this is a very kind interpretation — then it is shocking nevertheless.”

The professor emphasized that the lack of definition of who exactly was sentenced 75 years ago was “incredibly telling.”

“Such shorthand is not proper. People often think that this is nitpicking, but if one ignores such facts, remains silent, then unimaginable things begin happening. It leads to rewriting the history of the Second World War,” he said.

The Nuremberg trials against German perpetrators of war crimes during the Second World War were initiated 75 years ago on Nov. 20, 1945, and lasted until October 1946.

For the first time in history, the leaders of a state faced trial for the perpetration of international crimes. Twenty-two people were put on trial and 12 were sentenced to death, including Hermann Goring, Hans Frank and Julius Streicher. 

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Following a gang rape in Hamburg’s municipal park, to which a girl of only 15 years of age fell victim, the police have now identified several suspects. They are 17 to 20 year old men. They had apparently met the young woman by chance and dragged her into a bush.

It was a shocking crime that took place near the festival grounds in mid-September. There, after a private birthday party, the drunk 15-year-old girl had met a group of young men. The girl had partied in the city park with friends and acquaintances. At some point she had lost touch with the group and wandered around alone.The young people she met apparently noticed immediately that the young girl was so drunk that she could not defend herself. One after another, several of the men pulled the young girl into a bush. There they abused the 15-year-old girl. The incident is said to have been recorded on mobile phones. Before fleeing, the perpetrators stole from their victim.Initially five men – among them a 20-year-old Egyptian, a Kuwaiti (19), a Libyan (17) and a 17-year-old migrant born in Hamburg – were identified as suspected perpetrators. They are said to have been belonging to the group that abused the 15-year-old. Later, the police identified two 20-year-old twin brothers. The two are also alleged to have been involved in the rape.

Police officers searched the homes of the accused. Several mobile phones were also seized and their data must now be investigated. The police want to find out who had recorded the crime.

DNA samples were also taken from all accused. This is a common procedure for sexual offences. This way, it can be identified who abused the 15-year-old girl. The suspects were initially released due to lack of grounds for arrest.

abendblatt.de/hamburg/polizeimeldungen/article230927342/Stadtpark-Polizei-Taeter-Gruppenvergewaltigung-15-Jaehrige.html