NAZI MURDER TRIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 5

NAZI MURDER TRIAL

Defence Quotes Analogous Case /In British ROW. Camp

INCIDENT NEAR BRESLATT

Rec. 1.30 p.m.

LONDON, July 12.

The trial was concluded of, the seven German war prisoners accused of the -murder of their fellow prisoner, Rosterg, at Camp Comrie, in Scotland. The deputy-Judge-Advocate told • Wunderlich that he was found not giiilty;*: .The findings in the other eases would be announced later. ■'.''■

. Captain Willis, for",the -defence, said that it was not obligatory in a Military Court as in a Civil Court to pass death sentence in the case of murder. He asked the Court to remember that Rosterg, was killed in the belief that it was the proper end for a traitor when the country of the accused was still at war. The accused acted through righteous indignation. > Another matter Tvjiich weighed their minds was an incident • near Breslau in 1943 when;; British officers planned an atteppt to escape .from a prison camp. The attempt failed because the plan was given away by a British' officer, who was then hanged by the;? British officers in the camp and the German authorities took no steps, to punish those responsible. The accused did riot understand why they .were being treated differently .from British prisoners in Germany.'