Letter from Munich – 039
Letter from Munich – the Joseph Affair – 39
EINE DEUTSCHE FASSUNG STEHT WEITER UNTEN.
5 October 2001
Dear Mr. Graf, dear friends,
Author’s Note: Last week I ended the letter with the following excerpt from the transcript of the examination of Rene May, in the investigation into the death of the child Joseph Kantelberg-Abdulla:
In answer to a question, the witness replied: “They threw him in the paddling pool and jumped in right after. Before that, they unwrapped him from the towel.”
In answer to another question, the witness replied: “After a while, maybe ten minutes, the three left the paddling pool and dried themselves off. Then they went towards the changing rooms. I could see all this from the whirlpool.”
(Author’s note: In the German media, it has often been emphasized, that the assertion that Joseph was murdered must be false, because the often repeated statement that thirty, forty or fifty skinheads were at the bath could not be supported. The witness in question here, Rene May, who was fifteen at the time of the questioning, stated in this regard, according to the official transcript:)
In answer to a question, the witness replied: “As far as I know, the three (accused) had nothing to do with the skinhead group. The skinheads came to the swimming pool later. When the three (accused) were gone, I went over to the large wading pool, to see about Joseph, because he hadn’t come out with them. But I didn’t see him. I was afraid to get involved.”
In answer to a question, the witness replied: “I didn’t tell this to anyone, not even my dad, because I didn’t want to.”
In answer to a question about why he told this to Joseph’s mother this year, the witness replied: “She said to me that she needed it. She had taken statements from other witnesses. She told me she had taken statements from Daniel Steiner and David Schlaeger.” (Author’s note: The Joseph’s mother denies having named names.)
In answer to a question about whether he had repeatedly answered questions from Joseph’s mother by saying “Yes, that’s the way it was”, the witness replied: “I don’t exactly know anymore. But I know that she did not read other people’s statements to me.” (Author’s note: It has often been asserted in the media and elsewhere, that Joseph’s mother had prompted witnesses like Rene May to tell her own version of the death of her son. The transcript continues:)
In answer to a question, about whether he understood the significance of his sworn testimony and his statement today, the witness at first did not reply. In answer to a further question about whether Joseph’s death was an accident, in which the child had unfortunately drowned, he stated: “No, it wasn’t.”
In answer to a question, about what it was then, the witness did not reply. He was then told that according to his account, Joseph had been murdered, and he was asked if he understood that; he answered, “Yes.”
(Author’s note: In the Sueddeutsche Zeitung of 2 October 2001, there was an article by Ulrike Loehr, with the title (in German), “People Don’t Die of Old Age” and the subhead (in German), “Because of external pressure and sloppy work, doctors issue false death certificates – with consequences for living family members.”
Ms. Loehr writes: “But even without external pressure many doctors are negligent during an autopsy.” (Author’s additional note: Joseph’s uncle, who is a doctor and who was present at the original and doubtless decisive autopsy of Joseph’s body, has made extensive statements about the ways in which this autopsy was faulty.) Ms. Loehr continues, “The result is that forty percent of death certificates are wrong, according to an estimate by a Munich forensic physician, Dr. Wolfgang Eisenmenger. And at least 1200 murder offenses per year in Germany are wrongly classified as ‘natural death,’ according to an earlier Muenster report in which twenty institutes of forensic medicine were studied. But even if the doctor confirms that death was not due to natural causes, or cannot be explained, the police do not always intervene – even though they are legally required to.”)
This letter will be continued next week.
Sincerely yours,
Robert John Bennett
Mauerkircherstrasse 68
81925 Germany
Telephone: +49.89.981.0208
