It took 31 years to give it back its name: “the woman with the tattooed flower”whose The body was found in a river in Antwerp.This is a British woman who traveled to Belgium in 1992, announced Tuesday Interpol, which launched an unprecedented campaign asking the general public to help identify the bodies of 22 women found over several decades in several European countries.

Clarify “unsolved cases”

Rita Roberts could be identified thanks to a “Black flower tattooed on his left forearm, with green leaves and “R’Nick” written underneath.”according to a statement from the international police cooperation organization, based in Lyon, AFP reports.

“A family member in the United Kingdom recognized the tattoo in the media and notified Interpol and Belgian authorities through the Identify Me website.”specifies.

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This unique campaign, launched by Interpol in May, asks the general public to help identify the bodies of 22 women found over several decades in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands – including that of Rita Roberts – and advance investigations into them. “unsolved cases”. .

Specifically, Interpol publishes on its website and on its social networks a selection of information previously reserved for internal use and contained in its “black notices”dedicated to the identification of human remains.

Nearly “1,250 contributions from the public” They have already been collected, but Rita Roberts is the first to be identified thanks to this program.

Then his relatives moved to Belgium and “formally identified”, Interpol specifies.

” Move on “

“It broke our hearts. Our passionate, loving, free-spirited sister was cruelly taken from us. “There are no words to express the pain we felt then and still feel today.”wrote his family, who wish to remain anonymous, in a press release transmitted by British police.

“Although it was very difficult to accept the news, we are very grateful to know what happened to Rita”She continues. “She was solar and wherever she went, she was the soul and life itself. We hope that wherever she is today, she is at peace.”.

The young woman left Cardiff for Antwerp in February 1992. The last sign of life her family received was a postcard dated May 6, according to Belgian police. She was then 31 years old.

Clarifying the circumstances of his death

On June 3, a body was recovered from the river “Het Groot Schijn”. The victim was, according to the Belgian police, “died a violent death”. His tattoo had attracted attention, but nothing had allowed him to be identified.

“After 31 years, a murdered and unidentified woman was able to recover her identity and her family was able to turn the page”concluded Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

Now the Belgian authorities are asking the public to clarify the circumstances of his death.

Rita Roberts, stockyly built and about 5’7″, was wearing a dark blue, mauve and light green T-shirt, sweatpants and walking shoes, Belgian police described, hoping to revive memories of those who knew her before. . she died.

According to investigators, he would also have stayed in the Netherlands.

Any information can be “communicated through a form on the Interpol website”according to their press release.