Interpol’s Operation Identify Me Campaign Aims to Identify Murdered Women
A pair of red shoes, two beaded necklaces, and a British 10p coin are among the few clues that could help identify a teenage girl found murdered in western France over 40 years ago. Her death is one of 46 cold cases that European police are seeking to solve as part of the second phase of a campaign aimed at finding the names of unidentified murdered women.
“We want to identify the deceased women, bring answers to families, and deliver justice to the victims,” said Jürgen Stock, Secretary-General of Interpol, which is coordinating the effort. “Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth.”
The second phase of the Operation Identify Me campaign includes cases in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain.
Details of each case have been published on Interpol’s website, along with photographs of possible identifying items and facial reconstructions. Most victims are thought to have been aged between 15 and 30.
The body of the teenager with red shoes, beaded necklaces, and a 10p coin was found underneath layers of leaves in a layby near the village of Le Cellier in 1982. It had been there for several months. Detective Franc Dannerolle described the teenager’s body as disposed of “like garbage”. “There was no respect, no care for her before her death,” he added.
The 10p coin has led investigators to believe that she was either British or had traveled in the UK before her murder, although they acknowledge that she could have found it or been given it. Police have chosen not to go into detail about the nature of her killing to avoid misreporting by “fake perpetrators.” Unfortunately, the teenager’s remains can no longer be found, complicating the investigation. “If we manage to find them, it could be possible to work on her DNA to have a link with the family,” Dannerolle noted.
Retired detective Alain Brillet worked on the case at the time and calls it a “triple enigma.” “We had someone who had been murdered, but we could never find out what her name was, where she was from, or who had killed her,” Brillet expressed. A local recalled the fear that the discovery of her body sparked in the village, but because the victim wasn’t local, most people forgot about it and moved on.
The launch of the Operation Identify Me campaign last year marked the first time Interpol publicly sought information about unidentified bodies through “black notices.” Historically, these had only been circulated internally among Interpol’s network of police forces.
The ease of movement across Europe, increased migration, and human trafficking have led to more people being reported missing outside their home country, according to Dr. Susan Hitchin, coordinator of Interpol’s DNA unit. “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,” she stated.
Interpol is using targeted social media for the campaign, reaching specific demographics and locations. The organization is also asking celebrities to amplify the message on behalf of the unidentified women. Another case of interest involves a woman found dead in Wassenaar, Netherlands, almost two decades ago, whose story is still unsolved.
Detective Baasbank describes the circumstances of her first case: the woman was found face down in sand dunes, without obvious signs of injury. “She was very fit, sporty. Wearing a headband and sunglasses. Her buttons were done up, and she was wearing a scarf,” Baasbank recalled. Forensic analysis suggested the woman was born in Eastern Europe and spent her final years in Western Europe, with one of her keys traced back to Germany. Baasbank expressed determination, stating, “Never give up is my motto.”
Following the success of identifying Rita Roberts, a British woman murdered in Belgium and recognized by her distinctive tattoo from last year’s appeal, family members are eager for other unidentified women to receive the same resolution. “These women are sisters, mothers, aunties. Just because they don’t have names, don’t assume they’re not people,” said a family member, reflecting on the struggles faced by families of unidentified murder victims.