Amsterdam: The Dutch publisher of a discredited cold case investigation into the betrayal of teenage Jewish diarist Anne Frank said it was recalling the book following a critical report on its findings.
The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Canadian bestselling author Rosemary Sullivan has been widely criticised by experts since its release in January.
The book named a Jewish notary, Arnold van den Bergh, as the main suspect in exposing the family’s hideout to the Nazis.
There was a backlash by Jewish groups, historians and independent researchers who subsequently criticised the cold case team’s conclusion.
Last month, the main umbrella group for Europe’s national Jewish communities urged HarperCollins to pull the English edition, saying it had tarnished Anne Frank’s memory and the dignity of Holocaust survivors.
On Tuesday, a counter-report by the second world war experts and historians was released in the Netherlands, saying the conclusions of the cold case team, led by a retired US FBI investigator, did not withstand professional scrutiny.
“There is not any serious evidence for this grave accusation,” the experts found.
In response, Dutch publisher Ambo Anthos said: “Based on the conclusions of this report, we have decided that effective immediately, the book will no longer be available. We will call upon bookstores to return their stock.“
The English edition of the book was published by HarperCollins. HarperCollins did not respond to a request for comment.
Anne’s diary about life in hiding has been translated into 60 languages.
She and seven other Jews were discovered in August 1944 after they had evaded capture for nearly two years in a secret annexe above a canalside warehouse in Amsterdam. All were deported and Anne died in the Bergen Belsen camp at age 15.