-- Karl Wolff III, Associate Director and Director of Communications, NSP. 1488
Former Nazi officer sentenced to life over 1943 Kefalonia massacres
Italy has convicted the first former Nazi officer for involvement in the massacre of 1943
The story of the massacre became the basis for the 1994 bestseller Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
Alfred Stork, 90, who lives in Germany, was convicted by a Italian military court for his role in the execution on September 24, 1943 after the officers surrendered to German troops.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 Italian soldiers were killed in the week-long massacre in September 1943. Italian troops that had been occupying Greece with German allies found themselves in enemy territory when Italy signed an armistice with the Allies following the fall of fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Stork had confessed to his role but military prosecutor Marco De Paolis said "he did not have the courage to maintain his admission of guilt and stayed comfortably in his home in Germany".
But De Paolis said that witness testimony had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Stork was a participant in the mass killing. Several relatives of the victims were plaintiffs in the case.
Stork was interviewed by German magistrates in 2005 and admitted he was in an execution squad that killed 73 of the officers but that evidence could not be used in court.
De Paolis said that the case had been an uphill battle because fellow German officers who are still alive would not incriminate Stork.
"There is a disgusting code of silence," he said.
It was the first conviction in Italy for the Kefalonia massacres. Previous attempts were closed due to the death of defendants or lack of evidence.
The story of the massacre became the basis for the 1994 bestseller Captain Corelli's Mandolin by British writer Louis de Bernieres which revolved around Italian army captain Antonio Corelli.
The award-winning novel was later turned into a film starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz.
The sentencing came as Italy faces controversy sparked by the death of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke.
"There is a disgusting code of silence," he said.
It was the first conviction in Italy for the Kefalonia massacres. Previous attempts were closed due to the death of defendants or lack of evidence.
The story of the massacre became the basis for the 1994 bestseller Captain Corelli's Mandolin by British writer Louis de Bernieres which revolved around Italian army captain Antonio Corelli.
The award-winning novel was later turned into a film starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz.
The sentencing came as Italy faces controversy sparked by the death of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke.
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