An international appeal searching for information on the murders of 22 women has received over 200 tip-offs.
Named Operation Identify Me, the appeal was instigated to help identify tens of women murdered across Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The majority are cold cases, with the murders dating between 1976 and 2019.
The investigation was launched by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), an intergovernmental body with 195 member countries that shares information on crime amongst participants.
In just one week, the call has provided the organisation with tips from all over the world. 122 were received for the cases in Germany, 55 in Belgium, and 51 in the Netherlands. So far, details on the origins of clothing and jewellery, as well as the possible names of some victims, have been provided by members of the public.
INTERPOL has made it clear that, should the investigation lead to any of the victims being identified, its “first priority” is to inform their relatives.
The cases include the 1991 discovery of a woman in a rainwater well in Holsbeek, Belgium, one in a bog in the Worringen quarter of Cologne, Germany in 2001, and another in a thicket in Retranchment, close to the Dutch border with Belgium in 1994.
Any positive identification of any of the victims could potentially lead to criminal investigations, though depending on the specific case, the details of anything pursued by police won’t be immediately available to the public.
Should members of the public believe any of the victims to be one of their family members, the national police in their respective country can coordinate with INTERPOL on DNA comparison. In 2021, the organisation introduced the I-Familia database for use as a global tool, helping investigators to identify unknown victims using international family DNA kinship matching.
“We are extremely grateful for all the support and attention”, Martin de Wit – from the Dutch Police organisation – said.
“We have heard from experts from all over the world spontaneously offering their help. It is heartwarming to see how people are massively sharing the call online and continue to do so.
“The women in the campaign deserve to get their names back, and the information we are receiving now gives us hope for several cases. Every tip can make a difference for the next of kin of the victims”, Mr de Wit concluded.
As the appeal continues, Susan Hitchin, coordinator of INTERPOL’s DNA unit, has urged people to come forward with any information. “We continue to call for any piece of information that could help investigators connect the dots and remind the public that full case details, including photos and videos, are available for consultation on www.interpol.int/im”, Ms Hitchin said.
