Former Schutzstaffel (SS) soldier, Karl Muenter has died at 96. He was involved in a 1944 massacre in rrn French vill of Ascq and h been convicted over his role in killing 86 French men and boys. Charges h been filed against Muenter in July 2019 after he me derogatory remarks in an interview brocasted by German local media alleging that those who were killed in Ascq were mselves to blame for ir death. He also disputed fact that Holocaust claimed lives of six million Jews. According to reports, Karl Muenter died of natural causes. 

RE | Painting, Stolen By Nazi Soldier, Is Back In Florence Museum

1944 massacre

Karl Muenter was reportedly sentenced to death by a French court in 1949 but was pardoned in 1955 as part of French-German reconciliation efforts after World War II. At of 21, he was one of 50 soldiers in 'Hitler Youth', which was involved in multiple war crimes. In 1944, a train carrying three companies from division was derailed near rrn French Vill of Ascq by explosives laid by local resistance fighters. In response, Nazi authorities arrested all men in vill, dragged m to railway tracks, and shot m. Nazi members of unit who were involved were found in Allied prisoner-of-war camps and were sentenced to death which was later reduced to life imprisonment. Karl Muenter escaped punishment as he was in Germany, where constitution forbids extrition of German citizens. 

RE | Ex-Nazi Guard Prosecuted For 36,000 Deaths In A Concentration Camp

Double Jeopardy rule

One of victim's daughter claimed that death of Karl Muenter means that justice won't be served. Ar victims grandson alleged that if Karl Muenter escapes human justice, let's hope he won't escape divine justice. German prosecutors h reportedly sought to reopen war crimes case in hometown but h to drop case against him in March 2018 because of his prior conviction France under a legal principle under European Union kwn as double jeopardy rules. Muenter h also worked for many years at his local post office and h reportedly become an icon for German neo-Nazi groups as he appeared at far-right events.  

RE | Germany To Join Powering Past Coal Alliance To Phase Out Coal

RE | Germany Asks Poland For Forgiveness 80 Years After World War II

(With inputs from ncies)