Interpol recently launched a campaign called “Identify me” with the aim of solving 46 cold cases in which women’s bodies were found in Europe between 1982 and 2021. These cases span six different countries – France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Despite extensive police investigations, the victims were never identified, and it is believed that some of them may have come from other countries. Interpol issued Black Notices for each victim, with details about the cases, including facial reconstruction images, released to the public in the hopes of gaining new leads or information.
One of the cases highlighted by Interpol is known as “The woman in the well,” where a woman estimated to be between 30 and 55 years old was found in a rainwater well in Holsbeek, Belgium on Aug. 6, 1991. The woman was wearing specific clothing – a beige/brown knitted cardigan, a t-shirt with an image of two surfers and three palm trees with text reading “sun-surf-sea,” and dark plaid shorts. It is believed that the woman’s body may have been in the well for up to two years before being discovered, adding a mystery to the circumstances surrounding her death.
Another case, referred to as “The body in the bog,” involves the discovery of a woman between the ages of 20 and 30 found in a bog in the Worringen quarter of Cologne, Germany on Oct. 14, 2001. Police described the woman as having a dark complexion and black hair with interwoven artificial hair. The body was found by a mushroom picker and had likely been there for at least four months before being discovered. Experts reconstructed the woman’s face in 2002 in an attempt to provide clues about her appearance at the time of her death.
Interpol’s campaign includes the release of details and facial reconstructions for each of the 46 cold cases, in the hopes that someone may identify the victims or provide information about the circumstances leading to their deaths. Every case on the website has a link where individuals can reach out to Interpol and the specific country’s police agency where the body was found. Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock emphasized the need for public assistance in resolving these cold cases, stating that the goal is to bring closure to families by identifying the deceased women.
To aid in gathering information and solving the cold cases, Interpol has issued Black Notices for each victim and shared selective extracts with the public for review. Among the 46 cases included in the campaign, an example is the woman found in the well in Belgium and the woman discovered in a bog in Germany. These cases represent just a fraction of the unidentified victims found in different European countries over nearly four decades. By engaging the public in the “Identify me” campaign, Interpol aims to shed light on these mysteries and offer families the answers they have been seeking for years.
Through the “Identify me” campaign, Interpol aims to draw attention to the unresolved cold cases of women found deceased in various European countries. With the release of details and facial reconstructions, the organization hopes to encourage public participation in identifying these victims and potentially providing information that could lead to solving the cases. The initiative underscores the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and the community in bringing closure to families and ensuring justice for the victims. The ultimate goal is to address the unknown circumstances surrounding the deaths of these women and to provide answers that have eluded investigators for years.
