The body of Rita Roberts, a British national, has been identified 31 years after it was found in Antwerp. Roberts was one of 22 women murdered in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany over the past 50 years, in cases detailed through Operation Identify Me. The identification was made possible by a tattoo on Roberts’ left forearm, and her family has since formally identified her. Interpol has called this cross-border collaboration “important work” in connecting police worldwide in missing persons cases. Belgian authorities have appealed to the public for any information related to Roberts or her death. Jon Henley reported
The body of a British national, Rita Roberts, who was found 31 years ago in Antwerp, has finally been identified thanks to the efforts of Operation Identify Me. This operation, launched in May by Belgian, Dutch, and German police, along with Interpol, aimed to solve the mysteries of 22 women murdered in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany over the past 50 years. Roberts, also known as “the woman with the flower tattoo,” was discovered on June 3, 1992, in the Deurne district of Antwerp.
Described as a light-skinned and dark-haired woman between the ages of 20 and 50, Roberts was wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “Splinter” and “1990,” along with Adidas training trousers and dark brown walking shoes. Her most distinctive feature was a tattoo of a black flower with green leaves and the name “R’Nick” underneath it on her left forearm. It was this tattoo that allowed her family to identify her after they recognized it and contacted Interpol through the Identify Me website.
Interpol revealed that Roberts had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992 when she was 31 years old. The last communication she had with her family was through a postcard in May of the same year. Her family, who described the news as “shocking and heartbreaking,” has since traveled to Belgium to formally identify her, leading the Antwerp family court to update her death certificate.
In a statement, Roberts’s family expressed their gratitude for the cross-border collaboration that allowed them to uncover what happened to her. They described her as a passionate and free-spirited person who loved traveling and adored her family, especially her nephews and nieces. Roberts had the ability to light up a room and was always the life and soul of the party. The family hopes that she is now at peace.
Interpol’s secretary general, Jürgen Stock, emphasized the importance of connecting police worldwide, particularly in cases involving missing persons. He acknowledged the significance of Operation Identify Me, as it has given an unidentified murdered woman her name back and brought some closure to her family after 31 years. Belgian authorities have appealed to the public for any information regarding Roberts or the circumstances surrounding her death, which can be submitted through a form on Interpol’s website.
Operation Identify Me marks the first time that information from Interpol black notices, typically restricted to police, has been made public. These notices contain details about the crime scene, the victim’s appearance, clothing, and other relevant observations. The operation includes facial reconstructions, videos, and pictures of recognizable items such as jewelry and clothing found at the sites where the bodies were discovered.
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