Archive · 25 Jul 2025
Book Explores Impunity in Pinochet and Rauff Cases
This book tells two stories about people who did bad things and avoided punishment.
One is about General Pinochet, a leader in Chile who was accused of human rights abuses but never fully faced trial.
The other is about Walther Rauff, a Nazi war criminal who escaped justice and lived in Chile.
Both stories highlight how some people can avoid being held responsible for their actions, even when they did terrible things.
The book explores the legal and moral complexities of bringing these individuals to justice and the challenges of accountability.
Book '38 Londres Street' by Philippe Sands details the cases of Augusto Pinochet and Walther Rauff.
Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator, was arrested in London in 1998 for alleged human rights violations.
Walther Rauff, a Nazi war criminal, evaded justice and lived in Chile after WWII.
Legal proceedings for Pinochet's extradition from London faced complex issues of jurisdiction and immunity.
Both Pinochet and Rauff died without facing full judicial accountability for their actions.
- Who
- Augusto Pinochet, a former Chilean dictator, and Walther Rauff, a Nazi war criminal.
- What
- The book details the cases of Augusto Pinochet and Walther Rauff, highlighting failures of accountability.
- When
- Pinochet was arrested in 1998, and the book covers events spanning from WWII to the early 2000s.
- Where
- London, Chile, and Germany.
- Why
- To explore the failures of justice and the concept of impunity in cases of war crimes and human rights abuses.
Pinochet Supporters
Spanish Court
Legal Jurisdiction and Immunity
Pinochet Supporters
Argued Pinochet had diplomatic immunity.
Spanish Court
Legal principles and universal jurisdiction applied, calling for extradition.
- Book Title
- 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia
- Author
- Philippe Sands
- Pinochet's Arrest
- October 1998 in London
- Rauff's Crimes
- Role in the genocide of Jews
- Pinochet's Death
- December 2006