'Frozen in time': Father of missing Katrice Lee tells of heartache as song released on 45th birthday
Kris Jepson reports on Richard Lee's renewed hope that his daughter can be found, 43 years after she first disappeared.
The father of a girl who has been missing for 43 years, has spoken of his daughter as "frozen in time" on what would have been on her 45th birthday.
Katrice Lee was two when she vanished from the German army base in Paderborn where her father was stationed in November 1981.
Her disappearance remains one of the longest unresolved cases in the history of the Royal Military Police.
To mark what would have been Katrice's 45th birthday, a song has been released by a small group of German artists.
"I was actually bowled over by the words," Richard Lee, father of Katrice said. "It's so poignant to my daughter's case. It took me back because it deals with 43 years of summers and winters and it goes through the story.
"The lady that sings it has an absolutely outstanding voice. It gets to the very heart of the person who is listening to it.
"Realistically, Katrice is that girl in the red dress frozen in time in my head. I've always dreamed a recurring dream that a woman walks over to me and whispers 'I am Katrice.'"
Richard hopes the release of the song will lead to the hug that he desperately craves.
"It is like throwing a pebble into a pond and you get the ripples go out and eventually Katrice hears, sits up, thinks that possibly could be me and starts doing a bit of digging about into their own background."
Katrice was with her mother and aunt buying food for her birthday tea when they say she vanished in a "split second".
Because Katrice was on a British military base when she disappeared, the case came under the jurisdiction of the Royal Military Police and the German police were never involved.
They believed the toddler had wandered away to a nearby river before falling in and drowning. The possibility she was snatched was not investigated at the start.
Searches of the river found no traces of her, nor did they find any evidence that she fell in.
The MOD says its "thoughts and sympathies remain with Katrice Lee's family" and added “the Defence Serious Crime Unit assumed primacy of the investigation in 2022 into the disappearance of Katrice Lee, and we continue to appeal for new evidence."
Anyone with information is being asked to contact them on 0800 616 888.
Speaking from Germany, the mastermind behind the song, Sarah Kass told ITV Tyne Tees: "I grew up in Paderborn too and my father often told me about the story of Katrice. My father has a daughter the same age - that's me. That's why the story is touches us until today." She added that the disappearance of Katrice has traumatised the area.
Sarah worked alongside the producer Lars Hesse and the singer Nadja Rogue on the song.
Lars Hesse said: "In a way it was easy to write this song. We understood from the first moment what the whole story was about. The song could also maybe help to bring light into the dark case."
Nadja added that she hopes someone who knows something will hear the song and come forward.
Richard said it brings comfort to him that people still want to help him find his daughter.
Marking her birthday today (28 November) Richard is urging people to help if they can saying "If you know something then you could give us that missing link in that chain. Please come forward if you can.
"Time has passed now and where you might have had to live in silence in the past, you can now can be open and honest and allow us to get answers to where Katrice is. I live in hope."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…