LONDON (AP) – A woman murdered in Belgium 31 years ago has been identified after her family recognized tattoo details, Interpol said Tuesday.
According to police, the unsolved case was known as the “woman with the flower tattoo” because of the distinctive art on her left arm. Her body was discovered in an Antwerp river in June 1992.
Following a joint request by Interpol and Belgian, Dutch and German police to assist in more than 20 unsolved cases, it was recently revealed that she is Rita Roberts, a 31-year-old British woman. It has been found.
Officials said her family in the UK noticed details of her tattoos (black flowers and green leaves) on the news and alerted police.
The May call for information covered 22 cases in three countries. Most of them involved murdered women.
Roberts had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff, Wales. The last time she had contact with her relatives was through her postcards, which she sent in May 1992.
Her family said the news was difficult to process, but they were grateful to know what happened to her.
“This cross-border collaboration allowed the missing girl to regain her identity and her family to know that she was at peace,” the family said in a statement.
Interpol Director-General Jürgen Stock said the incident highlighted the need for police forces around the world to work together.