German Woman, 95, Charged With Complicity In More Than 10,000 Murders During WWII

German prosecutors have filed charges against a 95-year-old woman they say was complicit in the murder of more than 10,000 people at the Stutthof concentration camp during World War II. The woman worked as a typist and secretary. Despite her age, the case is being handled by a juvenile court because she was under 21 when she worked at the camp.

The public prosecutor's office in Itzehoe, a small town northwest of Hamburg, did not identify the woman when it announced charges against her Friday.

In a statement sent to NPR, Senior Public Prosecutor Peter Müller-Rakow said the woman helped those in charge of the camp carry out "the systematic killing of Jewish prisoners," along with Polish partisans and Russian prisoners of war.

The former secretary is also accused of aiding and abetting attempted murder – a charge that refers to the tens of thousands of people who survived despite the brutal conditions and cruel treatment that were imposed on them.

In his statement, Müller-Rakow used the term "Heranwachsenden" to refer to the woman. Under German law, that designates someone who is over 18 but not yet 21.