A Dutch publisher is pulling an investigative book on who betrayed Anne Frank

anne frank
A photo of Anne Frank stands on a replica of the writing desk she once used in her family's former apartment in Amsterdam, during an event to mark what would have been Anne Frank's 90th birthday, in Amsterdam in June 2019. (Michael C. Corder/AP)

Michael C. Corder / Michael C. Corder

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A group of Dutch historians has published an in-depth criticism of the work and conclusion of a cold case team that said it had pieced together the “most likely scenario” of who betrayed Jewish teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family.

The cold case team’s research, which was published early this year in the book “The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation,” by Canadian academic and author Rosemary Sullivan, immediately drew criticism in the Netherlands.

Now, in a 69-page written “refutation,” six historians and academics describe the cold case team’s findings as “a shaky house of cards.” The book’s Dutch publisher repeated an earlier apology and announced Tuesday night it was pulling the book from stores.