Father of missing Katrice Lee hands back military medals in disgust over investigation
Veteran Richard Lee has handed back his military medals at Downing Street in protest over the investigations into his two-year-old daughter's disappearance more than 40 years ago.
Mr Lee, flanked by fellow veterans, had made the journey down from Hartlepool by bus to hand back his Army medals in disgust at the Government and military's probe into Katrice's disappearance in Germany in 1981.
The former warrant officer, who served in the King's Royal Hussars for more than 30 years, said he was firing the last bullet he had in his arsenal.
Katrice Lee vanished from a crowded Naafi supermarket in the Schloss Neuhaus district of Paderborn on her second birthday 42 years ago on 28 November 1981.
"The devaluation of the medals started in 1981. As far as I'm concerned they're just a lump of cold metal and I would prefer to have Katrice," Mr Lee told Forces News.
"I want an inquiry, be it public or independent inquiry. We all know the Royal Military Police, as clear as the nose on your face, failed my daughter's case, everybody knows that but nobody will talk about that."
He added: "I'm just saddened that it's come to this stage where I'm having to make a gimmick protest of the return of my medals.
"But I won't give up, and I'm not going away."
The Royal Military Police (RMP) in 2012 apologised for failings in their initial investigation and reopened their inquiries under Operation Bute.
On 1 April 2020, the Provost Marshal (Army) ceased active investigations.
Op Bute was transferred to the Defence Serious Crime Command on 5 December 2022 and they continue to appeal for new evidence.
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 5 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."
Speaking last year, Mr Lee told Forces News: "My medals mean nothing to me. My daughter means everything.
"I'm always asked 'how do I maintain hope?' and the response to that is it maintains me. I have another daughter out there. Katrice Lee is her name and I want answers."
Mr Lee believes investigations into Katrice's disappearance were poorly conducted.
"Why were statements not taken from day one?" he said.
"The Royal Military Police could have kept my daughter's case in the papers, in the press and they would have been getting things to follow."
In May 2022, Mr Lee briefly met with then Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss his missing daughter.
"The last words Boris Johnson said to me was 'right, I've taken on board your points and I will be in touch'."
But Mr Lee said nobody from the Government had contacted him since.
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