Deputy seeks political solution to pardoning police officers in German Occupation
A POLITICIAN is hoping that families of island police officers prosecuted during the Occupation could be given closure through political solutions.
In 1942, 17 police officers were convicted by a German military tribunal of stealing from Nazi stores. Eight of these officers were also convicted by the Royal Court.
The cases resulted in stigma for many of the officers after the war, but there have been questions about how the cases were heard and what methods were used to extract guilty pleas from the officers.
While it was not possible to appeal the tribunal, an attempt to appeal the Royal Court hearing was made in 1955.
A further attempt was made earlier this year, but without success.
This latest attempt at an appeal has brought the case back into the spotlight.
Former Chief Minister Gavin St Pier has said that ahead of next week’s States’ meeting, he had submitted questions to the Policy & Resources Committee.
‘Following the recent publication of information with regard to the prosecution of a number of Guernsey police officers in 1942 during the Occupation, having taken advice and considered the matter, does Policy & Resources Committee believe that all present legal routes have now been exhausted to secure appeals or pardons in respect of the convictions, whether before the German military tribunal or the Royal Court?’ he asked.
Current P&R member Jonathan Le Tocq last week said he had raised the issue with the committee and he hoped it could help, suggesting they could look to go through the Royal Court or appeal to the Queen.
Deputy St Pier said it was important that the issue was looked at.
‘It’s clear from the information presented to the 1955 Judicial Committee that all the convictions for the eight men appealing were secured with no evidence other than their own confessions,’ he said.
‘These in turn had been initiated in all cases only from the original statements (written in German) claimed to have been given by them ‘voluntarily’ to the German authorities.
‘A number said in relation to some of the cases that they did not believe the stores were local stores – in other words they thought they were stealing from the occupying forces.
‘A number of the men referred to only having made the second set of statements having been shown a letter – presumed to be the threat made to the Solicitor-General by the Germans that if local authorities did not further pursue the local cases, they would.’
Deputy St Pier said this was a tricky and complex case.
‘None of us living now can possibly sit in judgement of anyone living through the Occupation in the circumstances that existed in 1942,’ he said.
‘Personally I believe that all present avenues for legal recourse have, indeed, been exhausted. If we accept we have reached that point, which is the purpose of my question, it then makes the conversation easier to begin about pursuing alternative political solutions such as, for example, statutory pardons.’
