§ 7. Mr. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British authorities in Western Germany have 826 released the war criminal, Ella Schmidt, sentenced to death by a British Military Court for her part in killing babies in Wolfsburg Concentration Camp, which sentence was afterwards commuted to life imprisonment.
§ Mr. NuttingThis woman, whose sentence had earlier been commuted to 15 years' imprisonment, was released as an act of clemency following a recommendation to that effect by the Anglo-German Mixed Consultative Board.
§ Mr. LewisAre we to take it that this woman, who was originally found guilty and sentenced to death and had her sentence commuted to 15 years' imprisonment, has now had the whole sentence expunged from the record, even though she was found guilty of murdering children?
§ Mr. NuttingThis woman was originally sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and, like all life sentences, was reduced to 21 years, and then to 15 years. Taking into account the pre-trial time spent in custody and remission for good conduct, she has served a period equal to about 13 years.
§ Mr. LewisIn view of the fact that this woman was found guilty, may we be told the extenuating circumstances which led to this murderess, who had murdered hundreds of thousands of children, being completely exonerated and having her whole sentence washed out?
§ Mr. NuttingThere is no question of exoneration. This woman served nine years' imprisonment which, with remission for good conduct, was the equivalent of 13 years' imprisonment. My right hon. Friend does his best to arrive at a just conclusion on each of these cases, which are examined on their merits. This decision was reached on the advice of the Anglo-German mixed board set up in anticipation of reforms which would be necessary when the Bonn Convention comes into effect.