Current:Home > MyDetectives seeking clues in hunt for killers of 22 unidentified women: "Don't let these girls be forgotten"-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Detectives seeking clues in hunt for killers of 22 unidentified women: "Don't let these girls be forgotten"
View Date:2024-12-23 16:53:47
The 22 women mostly met violent deaths. Their bodies, some dismembered, were found in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands over a span of 43 years — the most recent in 2019. Police say some showed signs of abuse or starvation.
But who they were is unknown, frustrating detectives' hunts for their killers.
Police hope that may change with the launch Wednesday of Operation Identify Me. The international appeal with Interpol is seeking public help to put names to the women. Such a breakthrough would, at a minimum, enable police to no longer have to identify the victims by their distinguishing features or apparel, such as "the woman with the flower tattoo" and "the woman with the artificial nails." Other names include the locations where their remains were discovered like "the woman in the canal" and "the woman in the suitcase."
Interpol released a video appealing for more information, featuring well-known women including Dutch actress Carice Anouk van Houten, German journalist Katrin Müller-Hohenstein and Belgian singer Axelle Red.
"Don't let these girls be forgotten," Belgian actress Veerle Baetens says at the end of the video.
The oldest of the cold cases, "the girl on the parking lot," dates back to 1976. Her body was found along the A12 highway in the Netherlands. She is believed to have been between 13 and 20 years old when she died. Interpol, the international police liaison organization based in Lyon, France, distributed black-and-white facial reconstructions of some of the victims. Hers showed a young woman with long, dark hair and bright eyes.
In a statement that quoted Dutch, German and Belgian police, Interpol said some of the women are believed to have come from Eastern Europe and that their bodies were possibly left in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to confound investigations.
"Most of the 22 victims died violently, and some were also abused or starved before they died," Dutch police said.
Police hope that learning their names might also provide evidence about possible perpetrators. It might also allow them to establish whether any of the cases are linked.
"In similar investigations, establishing the victim's identity ultimately has led to the arrest of a suspect," said Anja Allendorf of the German police.
Interpol is making details about each case public on its website, at www.interpol.int/IM. In addition to facial reconstructions of some of the women, it also includes images of jewelry and other items found with their remains, and contact forms for people who may have any information about the cases.
Susan Hitchin, who coordinates Interpol's DNA unit, said identifying the women could help bring closure to their family members.
"It's horrendous to go all these years without having any news, not knowing what's happened. And however dreadful it may be to get that confirmation that their loved one has died, it is part of an important process in order to grieve and to move forward," she said in a phone interview.
"Hopefully a member of the public will able to bring some new elements that the police can use that will ultimately provide the identity to these victims and ideally help lead to the perpetrator, if there is one."
- In:
- Belgium
- Missing Persons
- Netherlands
- Germany
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Vermont man is fit to stand trial over shooting of 3 Palestinian college students
- The US Tennis Association is reviewing its safeguarding policies and procedures
- WTF is a bitcoin ETF?
- 'I'm gonna kill your children': South Florida man threatened U.S. Rep. and his family
- These Michael Kors’ Designer Handbags Are All Under $150 With an Extra 22% off for Singles’ Day
- Bomb threats prompt evacuations of government buildings in several states, but no explosives found
- With 'American Fiction,' Jeffrey Wright aims to 'electrify' conversation on race, identity
- Germany’s government waters down a cost-cutting plan that infuriated the country’s farmers
- Chris Wallace will leave CNN 3 years after defecting from 'Fox News Sunday'
- Airstrike in central Baghdad kills Iran-backed militia leader as regional tensions escalate
Ranking
- 'Red One' review: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans embark on a joyless search for Santa
- 'Bright as it was in 2020' Glowing bioluminescence waves return to Southern California beaches
- Horoscopes Today, January 4, 2024
- Natalia Grace Adoption Case: How Her Docuseries Ended on a Chilling Plot Twist
- It's Red Cup Day at Starbucks: Here's how to get your holiday cup and cash in on deals
- When and where to see the Quadrantids, 2024's first meteor shower
- Vatican says no heresy in allowing blessings for same-sex couples after pushback by some bishops
- US says Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine and is seeking Iranian missiles
Recommendation
-
Eva Longoria calls US 'dystopian' under Trump, has moved with husband and son
-
Strike kills 12 people, mostly children, in Gaza area declared safe zone by Israel
-
Georgia House special election to replace Barry Fleming set for February
-
A German who served time for a high-profile kidnapping is convicted over armed robberies
-
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
-
Tesla recalls over 1.6 million imported vehicles for problems with automatic steering, door latches
-
Houthis launch sea drone to attack ships hours after US, allies issue ‘final warning’
-
There’s a glimmer of hope for broader health coverage in Georgia, but also a good chance of a fizzle