Interpol bids to identify 46 dead 'cold case' women

Global police body Interpol on Tuesday launched a new campaign to identify 46 women whose remains have been found across Europe in unsolved cases, some dating back decades.

The initiative from the Lyon-based organization builds on the success of the first Identify Me campaign, which last year helped identify the body of a woman found murdered 31 years ago in a Belgian river as Briton Rita Roberts.

The original initiative launched to identify 22 deceased women saw some 1,800 tips received from the public.

Now the campaign has been expanded to include cold cases from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as unexplained deaths from new participating countries France, Italy, and Spain.

The campaign has been expanded to include cold cases from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as unexplained deaths from France, Italy, and Spain.Courtesy: Interpol

Most of the women were "murdered or had died in suspicious or unexplained circumstances," the organization said.

"We need your help!" Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said in a video.

"Let's work together to give these women their names back."

He said that even the smallest piece of information can be vital in helping solve the cold cases.

"Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth," he said.

Roberts had been identified over three decades later thanks to a tattoo of a black flower with green leaves which was recognized by a family member in Britain. The family had contacted the appeal hotline within two days of the launch of the campaign.

Interpol is publishing images of the women's faces as well as images of items such as jewelry and clothing, which were discovered at the various sites where the remains were abandoned.

"Our goal in the Identify Me campaign is simple. We want to identify the deceased women, bring answers to families, and deliver justice to the victims," said Stock.

"The public could be the key to unlocking a name, a past, and in delivering long-overdue justice."

Among the women Interpol is seeking to identify is the body of a woman with an estimated age of between 16 and 22. In the autumn of 2005, her corpse was found in a red suitcase lying in the canal in the town of Schiedam in the west of the Netherlands.

"Her body was wrapped in a white duvet cover with red/pink and blue flower pattern," the organization said.

The body of another young woman was found in a nature reserve near Berlin in November 1988.

A woman was identified over three decades later thanks to a tattoo of a black flower with green leaves.Courtesy: Interpol

Dubbed the "woman in men's clothing", she wore a grey-colored men's cotton shirt, blue jeans and a men's coat. She had been "violently killed," Interpol said.

In a third case, the fully dressed body of a woman was discovered by a walker in the forest around the town of Mimeure in eastern France in July 2001.

"She was found in a bag made from a pair of curtains with a paisley pattern," Interpol said. "The victim was seven to nine months pregnant."

Twelve high-profile female ambassadors, including Dutch actor Carice van Houten and French former athlete Marie-Jose Perec, from the six participating countries have been recruited to help rally the public's support.

"Has someone you know or close to you gone missing?" asked van Houten in the video. "Could one of them be your missing relative?" said Perec.

The campaign has seen Interpol for the first time share previously confidential information -- so called Black Notices -- about unsolved cases.

The confidential notices intended for police can include information on the location where the body was found, biometric information such as DNA and fingerprints, dental charts, and physical descriptions of the body or clothing.

Interpol is an inter-governmental organization for police cooperation between the 195 member countries.