Kriti Mehrotra
The case of Kalinka Bamberski is such that it can only be described as equal parts tragic, confounding, and heartbreaking due to the fact it centers around the death of a 14-year-old. The worst part, though, as explored in Netflix’s ‘My Daughter’s Killer,’ is the fact it took nearly three decades for the French teen’s family to get justice against her German stepfather perpetrator. So now, if you wish to learn more about this renowned doctor turned alleged serial rapist turned supposed unintentional killer Dieter Krombach, we’ve got all the crucial details for you.
Who Was Dieter Krombach?
Born on May 5, 1935, as the son of Treasury attorney Walter and his homemaker wife Marianne Brendle, Dieter Paul Christian Krombach reportedly didn’t have a financially comfortable childhood. He was thus motivated to work hard throughout high school, only to continue his diligent efforts even after landing a spot at a medical university in the beautiful city of Frankfurt. From what we can tell, he completed his doctorate in psychiatry before specializing in internal medicine, and then he undertook cardiology (heart treatment) as his primary field of interest.
Dr. Dieter essentially kickstarted his personal and professional journey in Zurich, especially because that’s where he not only welcomed his children but also lost his first wife, Monika Hentze. He actually tied the knot for the second time within ten months and soon emigrated to Morocco to serve as a German consulate doctor, just to find himself having an affair with Kalinka’s mother, Danièle. He even followed the Bamberski family once they moved back to their homeland of France, after which both he and his lover left their respective spouses to begin a new life together in Lindau.
It was around this German town that Dieter established a thriving private practice, genuinely enabling him to receive name, fame, and money — he had everything, but it wasn’t enough. According to the reports, he conducted himself in a predatory manner by either having affairs with minors or drugging and raping his acquaintances, patients, and maybe even his stepdaughter. We include the latter because when Kalinka passed away in July 1982, she had a vaginal tear and several injection marks, for which Dieter was found guilty (“bodily harm leading to death”) in 2011.
Kalinka’s mother left Dieter nearly five years after the teen’s demise owing to his infidelity, and he was under suspicion of murder by Kalinka’s father, yet his world only spiraled in 1997. That’s when the affluent equestrian/doctor was convicted of drugging and raping a 16-year-old in his office, leading to him losing his medical license before several more claims came to light. Then, in 2006, he was sentenced to 28 months (serving 11) for practicing medicine across Germany without legal documentation, and three years later, he was forcibly taken to France to face justice.
How Did Dieter Krombach Die?
Dieter Krombach was handed a 15-year prison sentence in October 2011 for unintentionally causing the death of Kalinka, but he was granted early release in February 2020 for health reasons. Despite Kalinka’s father’s best efforts, he was subsequently discharged from a Paris facility and allowed to return to his homeland, where he spent the next few months in a nursing home. From what we can tell, the 85-year-old former doctor died of old age seven months after his release, on September 12, 2020, while residing near Winsen an der Luhe in Lower Saxony, Germany.
