‘Operation Identify Me’ – International Interpol Campaign Hopes to Step Up Identification of Scores of Missing Women in Europe

Written by Martin Banks

An international campaign to solve the mystery of scores of missing women in Belgium and mainland Europe is being stepped up.

The initiative, called “Operation Identify Me”, aims to identify women whose bodies were found in six European countries, many of whom are believed to have been murdered.

A campaign spokesman said, “These women’s lives ended very abruptly but all have families and loved ones who may still be beside themselves with grief. They deserve some closure.”

Some 46 cases remain unsolved – women who died 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago.

Their bodies were found in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.

A public appeal, started by Interpol, is supported by a video featuring several celebrities, including Belgian stars Axelle Red and Veerle Baetens.

Despite extensive police investigations, the women have never been identified.

The question is: Who they are? Where are they from? Why were they in the countries where their bodies were found?

All this is unknown.

Interpol has now issued what it calls a “Black Notice” for each victim and has made public some details of each of the 46 unsolved cases.

These include facial reconstruction images and the hope is that someone might recognize the women and help determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The public is asked to remember a friend, family member or colleague who may have suddenly disappeared to contact Interpol or national police authorities.

Case Solved: Rita Roberts, originally from Cardiff

Since the campaign started there have been some successes, including the case of Rita Roberts, a British woman, who was identified 31 years after she was murdered in Belgium as a result of the “Identify Me” campaign in 2023.

Her body was found against a grate in the water of the river ‘Groot Schijn’ near the Ten Eekhovelei in Belgium. The woman appeared to have been violently killed.

Her most striking physical feature was a flower tattoo with ‘R’Nick’ written underneath. For three decades, the victim remained nameless.

Having exhausted all possible leads and suspecting she may have come from another country, Belgian authorities submitted this case to “Operation Identify Me”, hoping the woman’s tattoo would jog someone’s memory.

Several days after the launch of the Operation  a family member in the UK recognized the tattoo on the news and notified authorities.

They believed the victim had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992, and had never been heard from again after sending a postcard in May 1992.

Is someone you know missing?

An Interpol spokesman said, “Do you remember where your friend, family member or colleague was when you last saw them?  Were they travelling anywhere?”

The Woman in the Well

Interpol’s current unsolved case file includes “The Woman in the Well” case.

This relates to a woman found in Holsbeek, a town in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The town is connected to the city of Leuven via the Leuvensebaan, and it is about 30 minutes’ drive from Brussels.

On 6 August 1991, the body of a woman was found in a rainwater well in the grounds of a cottage on the Attenhovendreef. The Attenhovendreef is a rural forest road with some detached houses, just off the Leuvensebaan. Her body may have been in the well for up to two years.

The Interpol spokesman said, “To this day, the identity of this woman remains unknown.”

The woman is believed to have been between 30 and 55 years old when she was found. At 1.54 meters, she was not very tall. Her teeth were in poor condition; she was missing her front teeth and may have worn a prosthesis for this, but it was not found. She had several tooth fillings in her lower jaw.

The woman wore a distinctive t-shirt with black vertical stripes and a summer print. The woman also wore dark plaid shorts, beige/brown knitted cardigan and a plastic or horn ring.

Woman in the Dam

Another outstanding case is the so called “Woman in the Dam” mystery.

On 9 May 1996, the body of a woman was found in the lake near the largest dam in Belgium,  La Plate Taille. The body may have been in the water for up to 1 or 2 years. To date, her identity is unknown.

The woman was between 25 and 35 years old and between 1.60 and 1.70 meters tall. Striking detail: her left leg was 2 cm shorter than her right leg.

She wore presumably red jeans from “VOS Jeans’, white socks with a red and a blue stripe and a black (left) shoe with a wide heel from ‘CYPRES’ in size 37.5.

Anyone with information regarding the possible identity of this, or any of the other cases, is asked to contact Interpol or the relevant national police.

An Interpol spokesman asked, “Do you remember where your friend, family member or colleague was when you last saw them?  Were they travelling anywhere?”

An Interpol interactive page contains details on all the cases listed by the country where the bodies of the women were found. This includes information on the specific locations where the women were found.

People are warned that the pages contain information and images that they may find disturbing.

To learn more, visit https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Notices/Operation-Identify-Me