Last victim of war's injustice

[Behind the Aegis]

France's wartime treatment of Jews has been thrown into renewed focus by the suicide of a woman of 96 who was left in despair by a protracted compensation battle for property seized under anti-Semitic French law.

In September, Charlotte Delahaye, described as mentally alert and in excellent physical condition for her age, dictated one last, anguished letter to the French body handling her claim. Three weeks later, she travelled to Switzerland to end her days in a voluntary euthanasia clinic.

According to the distant cousin and close friend acting as her agent, she urged him to use her case to fight for a better deal for those still waiting for justice.

France's Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Spoliation (Civs) was created in 1999. By December 2004, it had processed almost 21,000 cases, paying out £140 million, £12.5 million of it from banks that had failed to return assets to Jewish account holders.

more...

[beam me up scottie]

1. "with the dignity of a princess..."

Mr Fraenkel said "Lolotte", his affectionate name for a woman who had been very close to his mother, had often discussed suicide.

He tried to dissuade her. "To me, she was clever, spirited and beautiful, with the dignity of a princess," he said. "She walked with a stick but most of us would be delighted to be as she was at 96."

But in her letter to Civs, she complained that its officials were the "cause of my despair" and said she had come under pressure to renounce any further claim.

The letter ended: "All this stress contributes towards adding to my profound disgust on behalf of my contemporaries for all the injustice and suffering of which we were victims, and it motivates my lack of interest in life and my desire to end it."

RIP, Charlotte Delahaye.

I hope you finally found the peace you were denied.