The Interpol campaign aims to identify 46 women found dead in six countries

Paris, October 8 (EFE). – Interpol launched a campaign on Tuesday to identify 46 women whose bodies were found years ago in six European countries and were either murdered or died under suspicious or unclear circumstances.

The operation, which aims to achieve results through citizen collaboration in collaboration with six European countries, is a new phase of the Identify Me initiative that the international police agency launched in May 2023 with the aim of naming 22 deceased women.

The initiative led to the identification of Rita Roberts, a 31-year-old British woman who left the city of Cardiff in February 1992. Her family last heard from her in May this year and her body was discovered in Antwerp, Belgium. the following month. She was identified last year – 31 years later – after a family member recognized her tattoo from news coverage.

The first appeal involved Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, but Interpol sources told EFE that the operation was expanded to include France, Italy and Spain due to interest from other member countries.

For each of the 46 unsolved cases, some information about the women is posted on the Interpol website, including images of items such as jewelry and clothing found at the sites where the bodies were found, and facial reconstruction images have been created for some.

The six bodies found in Spain include that of a woman found on February 6, 2009 on a forest path on Mount Artxanda, near Bilbao; another wore an owl-shaped ring found under a sheet on the M-127 road north of Madrid on March 28, 2007; and a 25-30 year old woman found in the water off the coast of Santa Eulalia, Ibiza on July 9, 2019.

For each of the 46 women in this operation, Interpol has issued a so-called “black notice” for member state police forces to collect information about the bodies and determine the circumstances of the deaths.

These notices typically include information about the location of the body, biometric data (such as DNA profiles, fingerprints and facial images), dental examinations, physical descriptions of clothing, and other items.

Identify Me will publish some of the data from the reports, with a clear goal, according to Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock: “to identify the deceased women, give the families answers and bring justice to the victims.”

Stock emphasized in a statement that “as police work has not yet enabled these cases to be solved, we urge the public to join us in this effort. Your help could make the difference.”

“Even the smallest piece of information can be crucial in solving these unsolved cases. Whether it’s a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail can help reveal the truth. Publicity could be the key to uncovering a name and a past and ensuring long-overdue justice.”

Interpol has published information about each of the women on its website (www.interpol.int/IM) and urges anyone with information to contact police. EFE

AC/twin room