[SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH]

Introduction

The first investigations about the slaughter of Sant’Anna were leading, during the October 1944, by an American Military Committee and by the British Investigative Service. At that time there already were enough indicting elements for the prosecution of the liable.

However, during the following fifty years, until 1994, it couldn’t reach the definitive truth. That year, in Rome, started the trial against Eric Priebke. It took place in Palazzo Cesi, Office of the Military Warrant of Attorney, in front of the Military Court. Just into that palace, was found a hidden – during forty years – wardrobe, containing 695 inquiry’s files about the slaughters carrying out in Italy by the Nazis, between them, Sant’Anna’s one. For this reason, it was called “The closet of the shame”.
On January 14th, of 1960, the 695 inquiry’s files were illegally closed by the Military Attorney General Enrico Santacroce. On May 7 th, of 1996, the Council of the Military Magistracy decided an inquiry about that illegally closure. In the meantime two of that files, the n. 1976 and the n. 2163, were sent to the Office of the Military Warrant of Attorney of La Spezia’s city: they were the inquiry’s files about the slaughter of Sant’Anna di Stazzema.
The trial started on April 20 th of 2004, with only tree accused: the ex SS Sommer, Sonntag and Schönemberg; then, joined to them also Bruss, Rauch and Schendel.

Subsequently, the German journalist Cristiane Kohl, provided new evidences to identify all the criminals. She published, on the “Suddeutsche Zeitung” newspaper, the outcomes of her researches carrying out in the German Military Archives whit the collaboration of Carlo Gentile, historian.Their work had permitted the identification of more ex SS: Concina , Gropler, Richter and Göring; the last one is self confessed.

On June 22th of 2005, on 7.40 p.m., the Military Court of La Spezia sentenced to life imprisonment all the ten accused.
However, the Parliament Committee of inquiry - which was insituted by the Law 15 May 2003, n. 107, and which activity was been extended by the Law 25 August 2004, n. 232 - is still continuing its investigations about the illegally closure of the 695 inquiry’s files and about their concealment into the “The closet of the shame”.