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may be as regards these 340 children
we have proved that there were 250 children has been discussed in
special detail before the honorable Court. In a period of war of more than 5
years duration, during which Germany and her allies had occupied almost the
whole of Europe and had consequently adults and children completely in their
power, in which millions of people were killed, millions of people lost their
homes, Lebensborn took into its care and keeping altogether 300 children at
most-and saved them. I can safely leave it to the judgment of the honorable
Court as to whether even this number of 300 alone possibly justifies the theory
of the prosecution as regards participation of the Lebensborn in genocide and
the annihilation of foreign national minorities or whether one is not compelled
to believe, in accordance with the mere common sense of the Lebensborn defense,
that the Lebensborn intended to do and did something quite different with these
children, namely, that it performed a work of mercy. |
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E. Forced Abortions
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I.
INTRODUCTION |
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The defendants Greifelt, Creutz,
Meyer-Hetling, Schwarzenberger, Hofmann, Hildebrandt, Schwalm, Huebner, Lorenz,
and Brueckner were charged with special responsibility for and participation in
criminal conduct involving abortions on foreign nationals (indictment, count
one, par. 12; count two, pars. 2.4 and 25). On this charge only the
defendants Hofmann and Hildebrandt were convicted.
The prosecution
alleged that the Race and Resettlement Main Office played a prominent role in
the accomplishment of forced abortions. The defense argued that the
interruption of pregnancy of Eastern female workers was carried out only on a
voluntary basis, that the Race and Settlement Main office did not participate
in the procedure whatsoever, and that this office was informed for
racial-political reasons only after the abortions had already been
accomplished.
A short extract from the closing brief of the prosecution
concerning the Race and Settlement Main Office, referring to the prohibition of
abortions under German and other law, appears at page 1077. Selections from the
evidence of the prosecution are set forth on pages 1077 to 1089. This is
followed by an extract from the closing statement for the defendant Huebner, on
page 1089, and by selections from the evidence of the defense, pages 1090 to
1100. |
1076 |