THE ACCUSED NURSES ENTERING COURT IN MUNICH TODAY; JUDGES, LAWYERS AND PUBLIC IN COURT.




Initials PC/V/WH/JG



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Background: A FRAIL, ELDERLY WOMAN HAS CONFESSED TO A WEST GERMAN COURT THAT SHE KILLED SCORES OF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY SICK PEOPLE AT A NAZI EUTHANASIA INSTITUTE. SHE WAS ONE OF FOURTEEN NURSES WHO WENT ON TRIAL IN MUNICH TODAY (MONDAY) CHARGED WITH KILLING PATIENTS IN WARTIME GERMANY.

ONE OF THE NURSES FAINTED AND ANOTHER BURST INTO TEARS DURING TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS. THE WOMEN, ALL MIDDLE-AGED, ARE UNDER INDICTMENT FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE KILLING OF MENTAL PATIENTS TO SAVE ON ACCOMMODATIONS, FOOD AND TREATMENT AND THERE RELIEVE GERMANY'S WARTIME ECONOMY.

LUISE EROMANN, 64-YEAR-OLD FORMER MATRON AT THE OBRAWALDE ESTABLISHMENT, SAID: "I GAVE MENTALLY SICK PEOPLE INJECTIONS OR FATAL MEDICINE MYSELF. I DON'T REMEMBER IN HOW MANY CASES. BUT THE NUMBER 200 IS NOT TOO HIGH."
ANSWERING THE JUDGE'S QUESTIONS, ERDMANN, A FORMER NAZI PARTY MEMBER, SAID: "I FEEL INNOCENT. IT WAS A STATE OPERATION ORDERED FROM THE HIGHEST LEVEL. WE NURSES HAD TO BE OBEDIENT AND CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF THE DOCTORS. I NEVER QUESTIONED THE GROUNDS FOR THE ORDERS."
LOWERING HER EYES BEHIND RIMLESS SPECTACLES, SHE ADDED: "I THOUGHT THAT WHAT THE STATE ORDERED MUST BE RIGHT."
SHE SAID PATIENTS DOOMED TO DIE WERE MOSTLY SENILE, SCHIZOPHRENIC OR PARALYSED. THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE "DYING ROOM", AND OFTEN HAD TO BE HELPED THERE BY NURSES. TWO SPECIALLY SELECTED DOCTORS SUPERVISED THE EXECUTIONS. THE ROOM CONTAINED TWO BEDS.

(AT OBRAWALDE, AT LEAST 8,000 PATIENTS WERE PUT TO DEATH WITH DOSES OF VERONAL OR LUMINOL FROM 1942 TO 1945. THE NAZI EUTHANASIA PROGRAMME CLAIMED THE LIVES OF BETWEEN 100,000 AND 200,000 MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE).