A French court on Wednesday rejected a request to suspend the trial of a retired German doctor accused of murdering his teenage stepdaughter.
Defense lawyers had asked for the delay to seek a European Court of Justice ruling on whether the trial is valid, because Dieter Krombach was kidnapped in Germany and brought to France on the orders of the girl’s French father.
Krombach, who has denied any wrongdoing, lived in freedom for years in Germany after 15-year-old Kalinka Bamberski was found dead in her bed in 1982 in his home in Germany. The girl and her mother had moved in with Krombach after the girl’s parents separated.
The girl’s father, Andre Bamberski, believes that Krombach gave his daughter a dangerous injection to make her lose consciousness so he could rape her, Bamberski’s lawyers say. The cause of death as detailed in the autopsy was not immediately available.
French law permits cases to be brought against killers of French citizens abroad. In 1995, France convicted Krombach in absentia of “intentional violence that led to unintentional death” and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
Germany did not extradite him or press charges, saying there was insufficient evidence. The conviction was later overturned by the European Court of Justice on the grounds that Krombach had not received a fair defense.
In 2009, Krombach was kidnapped and left near a courthouse in eastern France. Andre Bamberski admitted involvement in the kidnapping.
“Now the trial can go forward in the normal manner, with the other circumstances out of the way, and this is what I’d always wanted, that Mr Krombach be present, that Mr Krombach express himself and that his lawyers defend him,” Bamberski told reporters outside the courtroom.
Krombach’s lawyer said he was “very disappointed” with the ruling.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit comic? The court says that if the state has organized a kidnapping we wouldn’t be able to give this judgment. I’m really disappointed,” Yves Levano said.
Bamberski made it his life’s work to try to bring Krombach to court, hiring lawyers in France and Germany and rallying supporters through an association, Justice for Kalinka.
Krombach was badly beaten during his abduction, suffering head wounds, a broken rib and other injuries, his lawyers have said.
Bamberski faces preliminary charges for kidnapping and willfully causing injuries. That case is still under investigation by French authorities separately from the case of his daughter’s death.
The trial is expected to last through April 8. Witnesses include German women who have told investigators that they were drugged and abused by Krombach in the 1980s.
In 1997, Krombach was convicted in a German court to a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to drugging and raping a 16-year-old girl in his office.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS