Italy Wins Historic Compensation for Victims of WWII Labor Camps

A civil court in Rome has ordered Germany to pay €82,000 in compensation to the heirs of an Italian soldier who suffered internment in labor camps during World War II. The decision comes in response to the plight of soldiers who were captured after the 1943 Armistice and subjected to inhumane conditions in both Germany and Austria for 632 days. The soldier in question, originally from Rovigo, was part of the 12th Infantry Regiment and was taken prisoner on September 12, 1943, in Albania. After his capture, he was forced into labor at various camps, including Mauthausen, Stalag XVII, and Holzhausen, before being repatriated on June 5, 1945. Tragically, he never fully recovered from the trauma of his experiences and took his own life in 1982. In her ruling, Judge Assunta Canonaco emphasized that the treatment received by the soldier constituted a violation of international law and amounted to a war crime and a crime against humanity. The soldiers were labeled as IMI (Italian Military Internees), a designation that excluded them from the protections afforded to prisoners of war under international conventions. This classification was purposefully instituted by the Third Reich to strip these individuals of their rights and protections. The court found substantial evidence that the internees were subjected to conditions akin to slavery, with the judge noting that their treatment demonstrated a clear noncompliance with the existing conventions regarding the treatment of combatants. The ruling also highlighted the historical acknowledgment of these injustices by the Italian government, which is set to designate September 20 as a day of remembrance for military internees in 2025. Lawyer Fabio Anselmo, representing the soldier's heirs, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, marking it as a step towards recognizing the suffering endured by many families due to these historical injustices. 'This tragic event has devastated a family like so many others. I am satisfied with this ruling,' Anselmo stated. This landmark decision is not only a significant judicial outcome, but it also reinforces the necessity of addressing historical war crimes. It serves as a reminder of the profound impact of conflict on individuals and families and the ongoing responsibility of nations to acknowledge and atone for past atrocities. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2