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Jews in Holland Seek Return of Jewish Girl Held by Catholics

March 16, 1954
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The board of Jewish communities in Holland yesterday addressed an appeal to the archbishops of Belgium and of Holland urging their intervention in search for a Jewish girl believed to be hidden by Roman Catholic authorities. The girl, Anneke Beekman, who is 13 years old, was whisked away from a Roman Catholic boarding school near Banneux just a few minutes before detective arrived.

Miss Beekman is one of two Jewish war orphans cared for in non-Jewish homes. The other orphan, Rebecca Melhado, was discovered last Saturday by two state detectives in a Belgian convent near Liege and has been brought back to Amsterdam where she was entrusted to a council of guardians. Dutch and Belgian police have been searching for the last 48 hours for Miss Beekman and for the woman who took her away from the Roman Catholic boarding school. The case may come up in the Senate this week where the Dutch Minister of Justice, Dr. Donkers, is expected to make a full statement on the matter.

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