Internet sleuths: assemble! International policing agency Interpol is appealing to the public to help provide information on 46 cold cases involving unidentified women in Europe. CNN reports that the agency expanded the scope of cases in its Identify Me campaign, which launched in 2023. That original campaign generated 1,800 tips from the public on crimes involving 22 deceased women—and just two days into it, a Jane Doe found in Antwerp, Belgium, decades ago was identified. Rita Roberts from Cardiff, Wales, (who went missing in 1992) was IDed by a family member who recognized her black flower tattoo through images from the campaign.
"Even the smallest piece of information can be vital in helping solve these cold cases," Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock says in a statement. "Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth." The information the agency made public comes from Black Notices, reports typically only available to police. Along with facial renderings, they include pertinent details like where a body was discovered, clothing and belongings found at the scene, dental charts, and biometrics like fingerprints and DNA.
Many of the cases are grisly, and each has a distinct name, the Guardian notes, including one of the oldest, dubbed "the girl with the 10-pence coin," who was found in Le Cellier, France, in 1982. The victim was believed to be about 16 at the time, and she was found with a 10-pence coin, a box of matches, and a keyring shaped like Napoleon. "Our goal is simple," says Stock. "We want to identify the deceased women, bring answers to families, and deliver justice to the victims. But we can't do it alone. That is why we are appealing to the public." (True-crime podcasts insist they honor victims, but this opinion writer thinks it's a lie.)
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