Hartlepool father of missing Katrice Lee hits out at online 'scammer' as MP contacts Foreign Office

Richard Lee, whose daughter Katrice disappeared aged two from Paderborn, in Germany in November 1981, has accused the woman behind the page of being a scammer.

On it she states she believes she is Katrice and needs to travel to the UK to take a DNA test.

Richard, 76, has accused the woman of trying to cash in on his family’s trauma and is working with the authorities to get the page taken down.

He told the Mail: “When I was informed about it I was livid. I’m fuming about it.

“My goal is to get answers where Katrice is. Their goal is purely to get money.”

Richard, a retired Army sergeant major who was stationed in Germany when Katrice vanished, learned of the fundraising page from his eldest daughter Natasha.

He added: “The page is believable, but I picked up on several red flags straightaway.

“She claims to have been to the authorities but they won’t help her. I find that very strange. She says she needs to travel to the UK to have DNA taken.

“You can have DNA taken in America and the results sent through.”

Some people have already donated to the page, but Richard and his family are appealing to people not to.

“It’s wonderful that people want a resolution and have donated money, however it’s going to the wrong person,” he added.

The authorities in the UK have been alerted including the police and the Royal Military Police who are officially responsible for the Katrice investigation.

Richard, of the Belle Vue area, praised Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash for his “stalwart” support. His office has contacted the Foreign Office.

Over the years, he and his family, have been subjected to trolls and harassment from a number of people falsely claiming to be Katrice.

One woman was jailed in 2014 and another was given a suspended prison sentence in 2019.

Anyone who has information about Katrice should contact Operation BUTE by calling 0800 616888 or email: [email protected]