Hartlepool dad travels back to Germany to site of missing daughter
An exhibition has opened about two year-old Katrice Lee
Last updated 6th Nov 2024
A man from Hartlepool has gone back to where his daughter disappeared from more than 40 years ago.
An exhibition is open to the public in Germany about two year-old Katrice Lee, who went missing in Paderborn in 1981.
The toddler's family has been trying to get answers ever since.
Her dad, Richard, said: "It feels rather strange but equally so it's nice in the fact that a lot more people are stepping forward who I've not seen in a long time, who've ended up living in Germany, so that in itself gives me a little bit of a boost and that extra support.
"It's a double-edged sword. It's to spring Katrice's story back into the headlines and hopefully the other side of the sword, is that we get further information and we can finally find out what has happened and where Katrice is.
"I'm very hopeful by the way that we've been treated so far, absolutely fantastic, and everyone's thrown their support behind my family. The sad part is that as usual, it would appear that the military have taken a backseat.
"My belief is that sadly they should've had somebody here at the location and hopefully information could've been coming in. What it does highlight to me is the same old retoric 'our sympathies are with the family' but sadly, there's no empathy shown nor support."
An MOD Spokesperson said:
"Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Katrice Lee's family and If anyone has any new information relating to the disappearance of Katrice, they can contact us on 0800 616 888.
“The Defence Serious Crime Unit became operational on 5th December 2022 and assumed primacy of the investigation into the disappearance of Katrice Lee. It would be inappropriate to comment on the investigations made by the Royal Military Police and the German police between 1981 and 2022.”