Interpol begins investigation on unresolved 46 murder cases across Europe

The Interpol and police in six European countries are reopening investigations into the cases of 46 women who were murdered or died under suspicious circumstances in an effort to identify their remains.

The new effort has been expanded to include cold cases from France, Italy and Spain alongside Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, which were part of an initial Interpol project.

The initiative builds on Interpol’s 2023 “Identify Me” appeal to identify 22 deceased women, which drew some 1,800 tips from the public and led to the identification of a woman found murdered 31 years ago in Belgium as Rita Roberts, who was British.

To identify the 46 women, according to Interpol, investigators will integrate their analytical skills and employ advanced forensic techniques, including DNA analysis and facial reconstruction.

“We want to bring answers to families and deliver justice to the victims,” Interpol Secretary-General Jurgen Stock said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Even the smallest piece of information can be vital in helping solve these cold cases”
“Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth,” she added.

According to the coordinator of Interpol’s DNA unit, Dr Susan Hitchin, the ease of movement due to open borders across Europe, increased global migration, and human trafficking led to more people being reported missing outside their home country.

“These women have suffered a double injustice. They’ve become victims twice: they’ve been killed through an act of violence and they’ve been denied their name in death,” Hitchin said.

Following this development, Interpol has published on its website extracts of Black Notice alerts on the cases, which are requests for information on unidentified bodies traditionally only circulated among police. The alerts include details ranging from biometric data to physical descriptions of the body or clothing.

The launch of the Operation Identify Me campaign last year marked the first time that Interpol had ever gone public with a list known as “black notices”, seeking information about unidentified bodies.