Kidnapping answer to father’s 29-yr quest for justice

Dieter Krombach lived in freedom for years in Germany after the 1982 death of Kalinka Bamberski. France convicted him in absentia in 1995 of violence leading to unintentional death,but Germany did not extradite him,citing insufficient evidence.

In 2009,Krombach was kidnapped,tied up and brought to a French prosecutor’s office. The father of the victim,Andre Bamberski,later acknowledged involvement,and was hit with preliminary charges of kidnapping.

Bamberski said he had to act because the statute of limitations was running out in France. Krombach’s lawyers are contesting the legality of the trial.

Kalinka Bamberski a 14-year-old French girl who was found dead in bed one morning in July 1982 while spending the summer with her mother and stepfather in Germany,the Guardian reported. The stepfather was Dr Dieter Krombach,a German GP,who admitted giving the teenager an injection of iron compound to help her tan more easily,and who was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced in his absence to 15 years in jail in France — but remained at liberty in Germany.

The 16-page German autopsy report told of an injury to her genitals,blood on her leg and a “white substance” in her vagina. There were also injection marks on her arms,right leg and thorax. However,Krombach was not questioned about the findings,the Guardian reported. Three years later when Bamberski demanded an autopsy in France,it was found Kalinka’s genitals,kidneys and rectum had been removed,ruling out further tests. The organs have never been found.

By the time Bamberski got the autopsy report,German authorities had closed the case. Bamberski became convinced his daughter had been raped and murdered,the Guardian reported.

Bamberski continued his campaign using private detectives and supporters of his campaign “Justice for Kalinka” he made sure he knew where Krombach was living.

In 1997 Krombach pleaded guilty in a German court to sexually abusing a 16-year-old patient,and was sentenced to two years jail.

It seemed as if Bamberski’s quest would fail. In 2012 the case would have reached the date of “prescription” as it is known in French law; the date beyond which no legal action could be brought in France and,worse,the date when Krombach could sue Bamberski for defamation.

Then after years of silence in the case,Krombach appeared,tied up,near the courthouse in the French city of Mulhouse before dawn one morning in 2009.