Police have appealed to the public to help name 22 murdered women in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany whose bodies have never been identified – some of whom died more than half a century ago.
In an attempt to spark people’s memories, Interpol, the international policing organisation, has published details of the cases that would normally only be available to law enforcement agencies, in a campaign named Operation Identify Me.
“Most of the 22 victims died violently, and some were also abused or starved before they died,” said Carina van Leeuwen and Martin de Wit of the Dutch police, whose efforts to identify a woman found in a bin in a river in 1999 led to the campaign.
“Partly because the women are likely from countries other than where they were found, their identities have not yet been established. It is possible that their bodies were left in our countries to impede criminal investigations,” they said.
Carolien Opdecam, of the Belgian police, said the aim was to find names. “The victim’s identity is often the key to unlocking a case,” she said.
Anja Allendorf, of the German police, said establishing the victim’s ID could ultimately lead to the arrest of a suspect.
Most of the women were aged between 15 and 30 at the time of their deaths, police estimate, and some may have come from central and eastern Europe. Their bodies were found between 1976 and 2019. Dutch police provided details of nine cold cases, Belgian police seven and Germany six.
The Interpol webpages include facial reconstructions of some of the murdered women, as well as videos and pictures of recognisable items such as jewellery and clothing discovered at the sites where their bodies were left.
Other details include the women’s estimated age, their hair and eye colour, and other key physical characteristics. Susan Hitchin, of Interpol’s DNA unit, said this was the first time information from so-called black notices had been made public.
Black notices, used to seek intelligence on unidentified bodies and determine the circumstances of the death, contain details of the scene, the victim’s appearance and clothing, and other relevant observations, and are usually restricted to police.
“Black notices allow law enforcement agencies to collaborate and share information across borders, ultimately helping to bring closure to the families of the deceased and bring offenders to justice,” Hitchin said.
She said she hoped the operation would prompt members of the public to contact police, and allow families to grieve and move forward. “It’s horrendous to go all these years without having any news, not knowing what’s happened,” she said. “However dreadful it may be to get that confirmation, it is part of an important process.”
She said new information could ultimately allow police to “provide the identity to these victims, and ideally help lead to the perpetrator, if there is one.”
Three of the unidentified women
Case NL07: the woman in the Gaasp River
Estimated date of death July or August 1999, discovered September 1999 in the Gaasp River near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Estimated age 18-35, 159cm, light skinned. Wearing a dark cable-knit jumper and turtleneck top, carrying a black faux snakeskin Esprit backpack, black shoes size 36, rectangular Guess watch with new strap. Body was found in an industrial waste container, partly encased in concrete. Killed by gunshot. Probably grew up in western Europe, possibly with partly Asian roots. The industrial waste container she was found in also held men’s clothing, including a white jacket with a logo sewn over a scorch mark, and white bags of washing powder, possibly used to add weight.
Case BEL02: The woman with the flower tattoo
Estimated date of death undetermined, discovered 3 June 1992 against a grate in the Groot Schijn River in Antwerp, Belgium. Estimated age 20-50, 169-170cm, light skinned, dark haired, wearing a dark blue, purple and light green T-shirt with the inscription “Splinter” and “1990”, blue Adidas training trousers with three green stripes, and dark brown walking shoes, size 40. Tattoo on left forearm showing a black flower with green leaves and “R’NICK” written underneath.
Case DE04: The body in the carpet
Estimated date of death 30 June 2002, discovered 30 July 2002, Weser marina, Bremen, Germany. Estimated age 22-35, 167cm, petite, almost childlike build, fair complexion, dark blond, probably permed hair, wearing only child-sized light cotton pants size 140. Purple nail polish on fingers and toes; armpit and pubic hair shaved. A silver earring with a red stone on her right ear, believed made in Kharkiv, Ukraine, but possibly sold elsewhere; on her left ear, a gold-coloured earring with a dark stone and the word “NIFREE” engraved on the stopper. Conspicuous plastic hair clip with neon green butterfly design and metal clasp, probably of Russian origin. Found in the river at the marina wrapped in sheets, a plastic sack and a multicoloured carpet, tied up. Cause of death unknown, but injuries to the throat.
Full information on all 22 women can be found here.
