International law enforcement agency Interpol requests the general public's cooperation in resolving 46 unsolved mysteries concerning unidentified female individuals.
International law enforcement organization Interpol has divulged data on 46 unsolved cases of women who were either slain or perished under unclear circumstances, some of whom were found decades ago, as declared on Tuesday.
The organization has disclosed these harrowing incidents with the intention of procuring vital clues that could lead to the apprehension of the perpetrators behind these murders.
An additional unidentified victim was discovered in June 2021 inside a bag in Saint-Denis, France, while a third body was found deceased in a hotel room in Premia de Mar, Spain, in 1999.
These 46 cases have been incorporated into Interpol's "Identify Me" initiative, launched in May 2023, which solicited the public's aid in identifying 22 perished women. Interpol reported that the campaign generated approximately 1,800 leads from the public.
One woman was swiftly identified just two days following the campaign's launch the previous year, 31 years after her family last had contact with her.
Relatives of Rita Roberts, from Cardiff, Wales, identified one of her tattoos in media coverage surrounding the campaign, subsequently reaching out to the appeal hotline.
Roberts departed Cardiff in February 1992, and her family last heard from her in May of that year. Her unidentified corpse was discovered in Antwerp, Belgium, on June 3, and an investigation uncovered that she had been slain.
Details of these new cases have been shared on Interpol's website, including reconstructed facial representations of some women and photos of items discovered near their remains.
Additionally, cases from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, alongside some from France, Italy, and Spain, have joined the campaign's second phase.
“We aspire to identify these deceased women, offer resolutions to families, and secure justice for the victims. However, we cannot accomplish this task singularly,” stated Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock in the announcement.
“The smallest detail can prove to be invaluable in resolving these cold cases. Regardless of whether it's a memory, a clue, or a shared anecdote, the smallest piece of information could potentially aid in revealing the truth,” added Stock.
“The public may serve as the key to unlocking a name, a past, and delivering long-overdue justice.”
In line with the campaign, Interpol has released excerpts of its Black Notice alerts, which are usually restricted to law enforcement, for the first time.
Each cold case features a Black Notice, which consists of information such as the location where the body was discovered, dental charts, descriptions of clothes found with the body, and biometric information like fingerprints, DNA, or facial images.
“Each of these deceased women possesses a story and relatives who deserve answers,” reads the Interpol statement.
“We implore anyone with information to come forward and contribute to this essential initiative.”
The cases from different European countries, including France and Spain, have been included in Interpol's campaign. The discovery of an unidentified woman in France and a body in Spain are part of the 46 unsolved cases.
