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Gruenenthal, which says it had paid roughly 500 million euros to victims by 2010, unveiled a commemorative statue on Friday. At the ceremony, its chief executive, Harald Stock, said the company was sorry for what had happened to the victims.

“In the name of Gruenenthal … I want to take this opportunity to express our deep regret over the consequences of Contergan and our deep sympathy for the victims, their mothers and families,” Stock said at the ceremony in the western German city of Stolberg, where the company is based.

“SILENT SHOCK”

“We also ask for forgiveness for not reaching out to you from human to human for almost 50 years … We ask that you see our long speechlessness as a sign of the silent shock that your fate has caused us.”

Several thousand victims of thalidomide, sold in Germany under the brand name Contergan and elsewhere as Distaval, are still alive.

Gruenenthal was not reachable for comment and it was not clear whether the 500 million euros in payments had been to victims in Germany only or also abroad, where other firms marketed the drug.

German thalidomide victims get a monthly pension of up to 1,116 euros from a trust to which Gruenenthal contributes.

An Australian woman whose daughter won a multi-million dollar settlement in July against Diageo Plc, the legal successor to thalidomide’s Australian distributor, said the apology was an insult.

“It’s the sort of apology you give when you’re not really sorry,” Wendy Rowe told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.