Move Against Dutch War Criminals

Justice Minister Jacob de Ruiter has promised Parliament that he will set up a central office in his ministry to serve as a clearing house for information on Dutch war criminals wanted for collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. He said there are 355 such wanted criminals on the Justice Ministry’s list but held out little hope that they will ever be brought to trial.

De Ruiter explained, in a letter to Parliament, that 274 of the fugitives and possibly most of the others, were sentenced in absentia for serving with or aiding the enemy rather than for crimes against humanity. This means that under West Germany law, their crimes will fall under the statute of limitations as of Dec. 31, 1979 and West Germany will not extradite them after that date, de Ruiter said. Such persons can be arrested only if found in The Netherlands. Moreover, it is not known how many of the wanted criminals are still living, he said.

Nevertheless, the Justice Ministry’s clearing house will serve as a central address for persons having information on the whereabouts of war criminals, de Ruiter said.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Foundation for the Wiesenthal Fund, a group that supports the work of Vienna-based Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, plans an international campaign to persuade the West German authorities to waive the statute of limitations for war criminals still at large.

The Foundation will print 50,000 cards with the photograph of an SS or SA man hanging a prisoner and a message urging a waiver of immunity. Purchasers will be asked to sign the cards and mail them to West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. The Netherlands government will be asked to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels.