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Dutch Minister “explains” Commutation of Sentences on Nazi Criminal; Jews Dissatisfied

March 19, 1951
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The Minister of Justice has explained the recent commutation of sentence of two Nazi collaborators responsible for the deportation and death of thousands of Dutch Jews during the war by the argument that their anti-Semitic acts were undertaken under a “mass psychosis, therefore they were not wholly responsible” for their actions.

The explanation was contained in a letter in reply to the Jewish community which had protested the commutation of sentence. The letter also explained that the gesture of clemency was not intended to offend the Jewish community, However, the Minister’s explanation was not satisfactory to the Jewish community.

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