Bullets
found near or in the graves
were nearly all manufactured
between 1911-1915 and thus
probably came from the first
world war.
Poland, Wednesday, July 10,
2002
Catholic role decisive at Jedwabne
THE role of Polish Catholics in the murder of the Jewish population of
Jedwabne, 61 years ago today on July 10,
1941 was ‘decisive’ in the words of public prosecutor Radoslaw Ignatiew who thus concluded a very detailed investigation into the circumstances of the atrocity. He added that the atrocity was permitted with the tacit approval of the Nazi occupation authorities.
The amount of victims is still not known but it is highly probable that the
1,600 number given in the book
Neighbors by Jan Tomasz
Gross is highly unlikely. The public prosecutor suggested a figure of at least
300.
The
investigation also found that bullets
found near or in the graves were nearly
all manufactured between 1911-1915 and
thus probably came from the first world
war, when the front passed through the
village. The remains of an artillery
shell from the first world war was also
found. Rounds fired from a German MG42
were believed to date from 1944.
The public prosecutor has closed the file believing that further prosecutions are unlikely given the age of the possible criminals and that the fact that trials were held in the communist era.