Operation Identify Me - Interpol

[kittensinthekitchen]

Operation Identify Me is a public appeal to identify 22 women, believed to have been murdered in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, but whose identity was never found. Most are cold cases; women who died 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago.

Despite extensive police investigations, these women were never identified, and evidence suggests they could have come from other countries. Who they are, where they are from and why they were in these countries is unknown.INTERPOL has published a Black Notice for each victim; these alerts are for police only so they are not public. But here we have shared details of each case, including facial reconstruction images and other potential identifiers, in the hope that someone might recognize them.If you remember a friend, family member or colleague who suddenly disappeared, please take a look and contact the relevant national police team via the form on each page if you have any information about any of them.https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Notices/Operation-Identify-Me

I was going to start a thread about this. Thank you for sharing.

I felt so sad reading about every woman that has been found. Disposed of in suitcases, in bins, set on fire, I don't know how anyone can treat a another human being like that.

Seeing their possessions and clothing in the pictures, those poor women, what they must have been through in those final hours

I really hope that they manage to be identified, to be murdered and have no one come forward that they are the next of kin is heartbreaking.

I know this is the tip of the iceberg.

Surprised there aren't more replies to this. I looked through the cases too. It seemed especially sad reading about things like surgical scars - someone cared about these women once, they were part of society.

I really hope this campaign is successful, at least in identifying the women even if the perpetrators can't be brought to justice.

Thank you for posting. I had a look and the reconstructions are a bit uncanny and eerie, I do know why that is of course…

Perhaps police forces could create more realistic reconstructions of victims with advanced AI in the future. With the 1st victim, the reconstruction of her in the outfit doesn’t look proportionate for example.

I’m also hoping that with advances in technology such as familial DNA, it could mean fresh evidence can be discovered to help identify these women

That's chilling reading

Based on a hair found, it may be concluded that the woman had mid-length hair. Her appendix had been removed, and she had never given birth.
The woman suffered from chronic anaemia and serious osteoporosis. Based on the DNA, it was established that the woman, or her ancestors, likely had roots outside of Europe, probably in Africa.
The sports bag in which the woman was found was sold by Makro in 2004 and was often included in businesses’ Christmas gift packages for their employees. A C&Q logo was printed on the bag.

HORRIFIC

I don't want to post details of their demise but that particular case has so much information and I hope her loved ones find the connection.

I wonder why it's these particular 9 cases.

It says something when police agencies and countries at least try to prioritise women who are anonymous and haven't received justice. So many women disappear and are never named.

There was a feature about it on Woman's Hour and Anita Rani actually asked the Dutch detective who's leading this "What about the men?". To which the detective responded that there are more unidentified men, but they tend not to be murder victims, unlike these women.

The detective also put forward that she thinks one of the victims might be British, it's the woman who killed on the houseboat. She asked all listeners to check the Dutch police notice, because that has an actual photograph, which apparently Interpol aren't allowed to display.

Do they have no DNA samples for these women? I think they could release these and allow amateur genealogists to try and find their family.

Reading about those women made me so sad.

I mean I know this is the world we're in, but it never gets any less frightening or depressing.

Is the question listeners to Women's Hour want answered typically "what about the men?"?

I'd assume not.

This is so sad. I can't bring myself to read all the details of the women's deaths but I did see this article on the BBC website yesterday about one of the women. It was very touching how the forensic detective and forensic artist really want to identify the women and return their names to them

BBC article

Thanks for sharing

well it does show how unimportant women are if nobody bothers to identify them, unlike men. Sort of how the 'Jack the Ripper' victims were seen as common prostitutes, nothing to care about.

What do they mean about 'not murder victims'? Dead of natural causes and accidents?

Sort of how the 'Jack the Ripper' victims were seen as common prostitutes, nothing to care about.

Not just him. Lots of murderers target prostitutes because no one gives a shit. A very good example is Willy Pickton in Canada. Non-profit workers and sex workers and indigenous organisations had been telling police for YEARS there was a serial killer in Vancouver. When they found him, there were 49 murdered women who'd been failed. Prostitutes whose disappearances had been reported but by the wrong kind of people. His farm was eventually searched on weapons charges.

If you choose to murder sex workers, indigenous people, trafficked women, illegal immigrants and care leavers, the chances of getting caught are minimal.

Having worked for a long time with sex workers, the average punter and a murderer aren't that far removed.

What do they mean about 'not murder victims'? Dead of natural causes and accidents?

I'd assume suicides and natural causes.

It seems the case has produced a big response and Interpol now have over 200 tips to deal with. I really hope some of these cases, if not all can be solved. Even the older cases, it may be that people are able to speak freely now, when they weren't before:

https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2023/Operation-Identify-Me-yields-new-information

Apologies for the DM link but I saw this today. So sad but at least some closure for Rita's family after so long.

'The woman with the flower tattoo' is identified: Murder victim found in a river in Belgium in 1992… mol.im/a/12746931 via dailym.ai/android

So sad, may she rest in peace

Are they sure she was a murder victim or could it have been accidental?

I was reading about this case and it doesn’t add up that it took over 30 years to identify this poor lady. I think she was called Rita.
She was traveling sent post card from Belgium to her family in the April,body found in June with a distinctive tattoo and suspected in the water for quite a long time .
Just seems a long time for the dots to all join up .Am assuming family would have reported her missing in Belgium and then body found in Antwerp .
Apparently her family are devastated .

You have to remember there wouldn't have been any computer records to cross check back then.

The original Interpol information said she died by violence, it didn't give other details but it seems certain she was murdered. I'm glad they were able to identify her after all these years but it's so sad for her family

I am quite surprised by this Rita Roberts story. Her family knew she was in Antwerp. Why didn't they contact the Belgian police when they stopped hearing from her? Surely not that many bodies are found in a city like Antwerp within a few months time frame? I don't understand it at all.

I thought she might be British as the R'Nick is Our Nick, something only a British person would say.

At least the family finally have some closure and hopefully more women can be identified.