My Daughter's Killer is the latest true-crime documentary to arrive on Netflix that will leave your blood running cold. The sickening yet heartbreaking story of Kalinka Bamberski tells how a father's love for his daughter turned into a devastating 30-year obsession after the teenager was found dead in her bed. But as André Bamberski vowed to get justice for his daughter, his quest soon took a turn that no one saw coming.
But what happened to Kalinka Bamberski? Where is her killer, Dieter Krombach, now? Here are all your questions about My Daughter's Killer answered...
*WARNING — this article contains references to sexual abuse that readers may find upsetting*
Who is Kalinka Bamberski?
Kalinka Bamberski was the eldest child of André and Danielle Bamberski and grew up in France with her parents and a younger brother called Nicolas.
However, her life was set to change when her parents went through a bitter divorce after her mother had an affair with their neighbor, Dr Dieter Krombach.
After her parents' split, Kalinka and her brother went to live with Danielle and Krombach in Lindau, Germany with Krombach's own two children, Boris and Diana.
What happened to Kalinka Bamberski?
On July 10, 1982 Kalinka Bamberski was found dead at home, but it soon became apparent that she had died a long while before after paramedics realized rigor mortis had set in.
However, the plot thickened when her stepfather, renowned German doctor, Deiter Krombach, admitted he had injected her with calcium and iron, believing that she had heatstroke. But, this raised more alarms because iron and calcium are not usually used to treat heatstroke.
Evidence of sexual assault was found during Kalinka’s autopsy. It has also been reported that Krombach was present during the autopsy, and he is quoted in the report making medical observations. However, German authorities maintain that he remained outside the room. The autopsy not only revealed injuries to Kalinka’s genitals and bruises to her arms, legs and throat, but the most disturbing detail of the whole thing is that the young girl’s genitals, kidneys and rectum had been removed, meaning further tests couldn’t be carried out. The organs were never found.
Krombach was initially arrested but was quickly released due to insufficient evidence and returned to work.
Three years after the autopsy, Kalinka’s father, Andre, finally received details of how his daughter died and concluded that Kalinka must have been killed by Krombach. But according to German authorities, there wasn't enough evidence against Krombach and they didn’t even question the doctor and his motives. Instead, Andre's 30 year long quest to get justice for his daughter began...
How did Dieter Krombach get caught?
After becoming convinced that Krombach was guilty of killing Kalinka, André started following the doctor's whereabouts, making sure that he knew where he was at all times. Then, in March 1997 Krombach had his medical license taken away and was given a two-year suspended sentence after he was charged with the rape of a patient under the age of 16 at his office.
However, after getting away with the crime with nothing more than a rap on the knuckles, Krombach secretly continued to work as a locum doctor, despite now having no license. But, his lies soon started to catch up with him when other women came forward, also accusing him of drugging and raping them while they were in his care.
One of the most shocking parts of the Netflix documentary is a rare TV interview with Krombach, which sees him apparently mocking his rape victim... “She never said yes, but she never said no either,” he laughs in the clip. The presenter then points out that he had drugged his victim, to which he replies: “As they said in ancient Rome: ‘Those who remain silent seem to agree.’”
Eventually, Krombach went to prison in July 2007 for operating without a license, however, he served less than a year of his two-year sentence. But, that's still not the end of the story... far from it.
In September 2009 Krombach was dumped, bloodied and bruised, outside a French police station, and he was initially taken to hospital for medical treatment before being put into custody for Kalinka's death. But how did he get there? You guessed it, this is where André's determination to bring his daughter's killer to justice comes in.
Who is Anton Krasniqi in My Daughter's Killer?
Despite Krombach being safe from prosecution in Germany, where he had been declared innocent in Munich courts, he was a wanted man in France. So André enlisted the help of Kosovo-born barman Anton Krasniqi, who, along with two Russian mob members, kidnapped Krombach on order in Germany and took him over the border to France where he could be tried for his crimes.
Despite the severity of the job, Krasniqi didn't take any payment for the kidnapping, asking only for his expenses to be paid. In 2014, André got a one-year suspended sentence for ordering the abduction, while Krasniqi got one year in prison but maintains that he had no regrets in helping André get justice for his daughter.
Where is Dieter Krombach now?
On 22 October 2011, Krombach was sentenced to 15 years in prison for causing intentional bodily harm resulting in Kalinka's unintentional death.
Krombach served nine years of his 15-year sentence before he was released on health grounds in 2020. The then 84-year-old died shortly after his release.
What happened to André Bamberski?
André Bamberski is now in his 80s and still lives in France.
After organizing the kidnapping of Dieter Krombach, André Bamberski was put on trial and faced up to ten years in prison. His trial took place in May 2014 where he confessed that he had organized to have Krombach abducted. But the fact he had brought a wanted man to justice worked in his favor. Despite being found guilty, Bamberski was given a one-year suspended jail sentence.
Is My Daughter's Killer a true story?
Yes, as this is a true-crime documentary and not a TV drama adaptation, the whole story is shockingly true.
Is My Daughter's Killer a series?
My Daughter's Killer is a one-off documentary that lasts for one hour and twenty-four minutes. The true-crime show, which takes place in France and Germany, tells the story of 14-year-old Kalinka Bamberski who was killed by her stepfather, Dieter Krombach, leading to her father, André Bamberski, dedicating his life to bringing his daughter's killer to justice.
Is there a trailer for My Daughter's Killer?
Yes, the trailer shows a clip of Anton Krasniqi explaining how he got involved in helping André Bamberski bring Dieter Krombach to justice.
As the man who helped kidnap Kalinka's killer and deliver him to the authorities, Krasniqi highlights the lengths André Bamberski was willing to go to by stating: "What would you do as a father? What are you capable of doing for your child?"
Where can I watch My Daughter's Killer?
My Daughter's Killer is available to stream on Netflix worldwide now.
Netflix also has other new crime documentaries including The Girl in the Picture and D. B. Cooper: Where Are You? which you might want to check out.
