 German authorities said Friday they had carried out raids at the homes of elderly former SS soldiers accused of war crimes, including involvement in a 1944 civilian massacre in France. The three men, all aged around 90, are suspected members of a division believed to have killed more than 80 people, including a priest, in Ascq, northern France in 1944, Dortmund prosecutor Andreas Brendel told NBC News. Authorities confiscated documents, photos and other possible evidence. Should the investigation lead to criminal charges, the ability of the aged suspects to stand trial must also be assessed.
– German authorities raided the homes of three elderly men whom they suspect played a role in a massacre on French soil while members of the Nazi SS during WWII, NBC News reports. According to the AP, the men—all around the age of 90—may have been involved in the 1944 killing of 86 people in Ascq, France. The men deny they were there. The raids took place this week, with investigators looking for "old documents, photos, and personal handwritten notes," a prosecutor tells NBC. Authorities confiscated some materials, and the AFP reports officials will be combing those documents for clues. The men—allegedly part of the 12th SS Panzer Division, known as the "Hitler Youth" division—were linked to the massacre by "recent eyewitness accounts," NBC reports. No charges have been filed, and authorities are not releasing the men's names. Even if enough evidence is found to charge the men, they may be too old to stand trial. “Our aim is to shed light on what happened—it is above all about establishing legal clarity on the Ascq massacre,” the aforementioned prosecutor, who is leading the investigation, tells AFP. (A 95-year-old Auschwitz medic will stand trial.)