European police to reopen cold cases to identify 46 women’s remains

Campaign that began in 2023 in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands expanded to include France, Italy and Spain.

Interpol and police in six European countries are reopening investigations into the cases of 46 women who were murdered or died under suspicious circumstances in an effort to identify their remains, the international police agency has said.

“We want to … bring answers to families and deliver justice to the victims,” Interpol Secretary-General Jurgen Stock said in a statement on Tuesday.

The initiative builds on Interpol’s 2023 “Identify Me” appeal to identify 22 deceased women, which drew some 1,800 tips from the public and led to the identification of a woman found murdered 31 years ago in Belgium as Rita Roberts, who was British.

The new effort has been expanded to include cold cases from France, Italy and Spain alongside Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, which were part of the initial project.

“Even the smallest piece of information can be vital in helping solve these cold cases,” Stock said.

“Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth.”

Roberts was identified through a tattoo of a black flower with green leaves which a family member recognised.

Police forces will pool analytical capabilities and forensic methods, such as DNA profiling and facial reconstruction in a bid to identify the 46 women.

Interpol has published on its website extracts of so-called Black Notice alerts on the cases, which are requests for information on unidentified bodies traditionally only circulated among police. The alerts include details ranging from biometric data to physical descriptions of the body or clothing.