Emile Ratelband wants to be left alone, lawyer says

Emile Ratelband wants to be left alone, according to a message shared on Wednesday by Carlo Liefting, a lawyer who has represented him in the past. Liefting said he had spoken with Ratelband that day and that the entrepreneur was doing well.

“Today we had regular, old-fashioned and good contact, in response to all the news surrounding Emile Ratelband,” Liefting wrote. He said Ratelband’s request was to be left in peace and asked that it be respected.

The message follows a public appeal by Ratelband’s daughter Minou, who offered €2,500 on behalf of his children for a tip leading to their father. The appeal prompted coverage of the family’s efforts to find out about him; Liefting’s message gives a new account of recent contact, but does not say where Ratelband is.