Kidnap Charges Against West

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 13

Kidnap Charges Against West

(N.Z.P.A -Reuter—Copyright)

BERLIN, September 3.

East Germany today charged that the Western Allies were “misusing” the Berlin air corridors to transport kidnapped East German children to the West.

In identical Notes delivered through Czech channels to the British, United States and French Embassies in Prague, the East German Government protested against “two especially crass cases of brutal robbery of children” from East Germany, and their alleged abduction to West Berlin.

Britain, the United States and France did not recognise the East German Government.

The Soviet Union also today delivered Notes to Britain, France and the United States, which are understood to repeat Soviet accusations that the Allies are misusing air transit rights to Berlin. The Notes were delivered to Allied embassies in Moscow this afternoon. They are in reply to the Western Notes delivered a week ago which warned the Soviet Government that any interference to Allied rights in the air corridors to Berlin would be regarded as an act of aggression. The Notes are expected to

be published shortly, but no details were immediately available The East German Note to the United States said one of the children, Peter Bluhme, aged 3, was “abducted” to West Berlin by an East German woman on July 20, against the will of the parents, who were temporarily away. - The other child, Sylvia Heintz, aged four months, was said to have been taken from her parents “deceitfully” on August 3 by a woman relative who lived in West Germany and who "abducted the child in a travelling bag to West Berlin.”

The Notes said both "crimes” were planned in West Berlin by exploiting the .“abnormal situation” there and "pursued the blackmailing aim of forcing the parents, who were devoted to their children, to leave the German Democratic Republic.”

It added that, according to information received, both children had “been taken to West Germany under misuse of the air corridors for the supply of the garrisons of the three Western Powers in Berlin.”

The Note said East Germany had tried to secure the return of the children and ’he prosecution of those concerned. but West German and West Berlin authorities had refused all co-o-peration.

“The lack of action . . . must be regarded as proof of their direct responsibility for slave trade and their favouring of the criminals,” it said Special Flights

Yesterday the United States State Department announced that the three West, em Allies have barred the use jf their air corridors over East Germany to special flights.

The special flights were by Sabena Airlines, of Belgium, and K.L.M., the Royal Dutch Airline, bound for Leipzig, because it was felt that this was not the time to help “bolster up” the Leipzig fair in Communist East Germanv. The spokesman said that it “would be undesirable, tn view of the actions of the East Germans in the last few weeks.” to grant permission for the flights.