Murdered Woman Identified Years Later Thanks To Tattoo

(RepublicanPress.org) – In 1992, a young woman traveled to Belgium and was violently killed. Police found her lying against a grate in a river months after her murder. Sadly, they were not able to identify her, so she joined the other Jane Doe’s on a mystery list, and her family went decades not knowing what became of their loved one — until now.

On November 15, the BBC announced that Interpol reported the woman’s family identified the woman from 1992 as 31-year-old Rita Roberts after seeing a picture of her tattoo online. The victim became one of 22 women that European police added to a campaign entitled Operation Identify Me. The website included identifying markers, facial reconstructions, and more that onlookers could use to give police clues into who the women were. One of Robert’s family members spotted a picture of her flower tattoo on the site and contacted authorities.

A woman found murdered 31 years ago in a river in Belgium has been identified over three decades later thanks to her flower tattoo and an international appeal, Interpol says. https://t.co/fqPeISD9yG

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 14, 2023

The victim’s loved ones then traveled to Belgium to formally identify Rita Roberts as the woman who was killed. She had traveled from her home in Cardiff, Wales, to Antwerp in early 1992. The last time her family heard from her was when they received a postcard three months later. One month later, police discovered her body. Still, the family didn’t know until recently that the woman found was their Rita.

The Roberts family put out a statement saying they were grateful to know what happened to their loved one, but the “news was difficult to process.” They described her as “passionate, loving, and free-spirited,” saying she was “cruelly” ripped out of their lives.

According to CBS News, Interpol released a video as part of the operation to identify the murdered women, calling to the public for information. At the end of the video, a Belgian actress said, “Don’t let these girls be forgotten.” Some of the cases date back to the ‘70s. Police hope the victims’ eventual identification will lead to justice.