WhatsNew2Day – Latest News And Breaking Headlines
The family of a British woman who has been identified as a murder victim 31 years after she disappeared have said they are heartbroken to discover her “senseless” murder in Belgium following an “agonizing” search that lasted three decades.
Police revealed today that it was Rita Roberts, 31, who was violently murdered before her body was dumped in the Het Groot Schijn river in Antwerp, Belgium, on June 3, 1992.
For 31 years, Rita was only known as “the woman with the flower tattoo” until she was finally identified thanks to her distinctive ink design and international appeal.
Her heartbroken family, who had been in the dark for more than 30 years about Rita’s fate, said today they were devastated to learn of her “untimely and senseless murder” in Belgium.
Paulette Roberts, who is married to Rita’s brother, said her sister-in-law Donna Anderson helped find Rita after “an agonizing 31-year search.”
Mrs Roberts said: “The joy of this reunion is overshadowed by the tragic news of Rita’s senseless murder in Belgium. Rita loved her family passionately and will be greatly missed.”
Rita had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992 and her family last heard from her when they received a postcard a few months later in May.
Shortly afterwards, on June 3, his body was discovered floating against the grate of a water treatment plant on the Groot Schijn River, near Ten Eekhovelei, and detectives said he had possibly been in the water for some time.
Rita Roberts had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992 and her family last heard from her when they received a postcard in May of that year.
The 31-year-old’s most striking physical feature was a floral tattoo on her left forearm of a black flower with green leaves and ‘R’Nick’ written underneath.
On June 3, Rita’s body was discovered floating against the grate of a water treatment plant on the Groot Schijn River.
She wore distinctive neon sportswear and her most striking physical feature was a tattoo on her left forearm of a black flower with green leaves and the inscription ‘R’Nick’ underneath.
She remained anonymous for thirty years, until an international effort to identify her body was launched this year and a family member recognized her tattoo after seeing the news.
The breakthrough followed an international appeal on Interpol’s Identify Me website, where police share previously confidential information – so-called Black Notices – about unsolved cases, hoping to receive input from the public.
The page, launched in May this year, seeks to identify 22 women found dead in recent decades in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, Interpol said. Rita Roberts is the first case of the 22 identified victims.
Referring to those other 21 women, Mrs Roberts said today: “As Donna and my husband struggle with the pain of losing Rita, we are also forced to raise awareness about 21 other unnamed women who, like Rita, are waiting to be recognized and reunited with their families.
“Their stories remain shrouded in anonymity and it is our collective responsibility to shed light on their plight.”
In the Facebook post, Ms Roberts added: “We kindly ask for your support in sharing a post to your networks. By doing so, you will not only honor Rita’s memory, but will also contribute to the possible reunification of other families seeking desperately to their loved ones.’
Rita’s body was found near Antwerp’s Sportpaleis event hall, in a busy residential and shopping area in the city’s Deurne district.
The river, which runs alongside the A1 motorway, runs from Provinciaal Groendomein Rivierenhof towards a water pumping station.
When an appeal to uncover her identity was launched in May this year, detectives described her as aged between 20 and 50, around 170cm tall and of stocky build.
He had light skin and mid-length dark hair, and was wearing a dark blue Adidas t-shirt and training pants.
Now that she has been identified, Belgian authorities are asking the public to come forward with any information they may have as they continue to search for her killer.
Rita was wearing dark DAG sneakers with distinctive neon details in size 40 when she was found.
The river, which runs alongside the A1 motorway, runs from the Provinciaal Groendomein Rivierenhof towards a water pumping station.
His body was found near Antwerp’s Sportpaleis event hall, which is close to a highway, a park and a busy residential and commercial area.
Rita was wearing distinctive sportswear and neon sneakers when she was found dead.
An international appeal was launched in which Belgian, Dutch and German police collaborated with INTERPOL to try to identify 22 women believed to have been murdered.
While the identities of many of the victims are still unknown, a family member in the United Kingdom recognized Rita’s tattoo on the news and came forward and contacted the International Criminal Police Organization and authorities online. Belgians.
The family then traveled to meet investigators in Belgium and formally identified Rita.
“The news was shocking and heartbreaking,” they said in a statement. ‘Our passionate, loving and free-spirited sister was cruelly kidnapped.
‘There are no words to truly express the pain we felt at that time and still feel today.
“Although it has been difficult to process the news, we are incredibly grateful to have found out what happened to Rita.”
The family said that while they continue to miss Rita deeply, they are grateful for the support of Missing Persons Belgium, Antwerp Police, INTERPOL and Durham Police in the UK.
“This cross-border collaboration has given a missing girl her identity and allowed her family to know she is at rest,” they said.
‘Rita was a beautiful person who loved to travel. She loved her family, especially her nieces and nephews, and she always wanted to have a family of her own.
‘He had the ability to light up a room and wherever he went, he was the life of the party. We hope that wherever he is now he is at peace.”
The investigation is part of the “Identify me” program, launched earlier this year and aimed at unsolved cases.
Created to help identify 22 female alleged murder victims, Identify Me has received more than 500 messages and tips from the public, INTERPOL said.
Secretary General Jürgen Stock said today: ‘After 31 years, an unidentified murdered woman has had her name restored and some closure has been achieved for her family.
‘These cases underline the vital need to connect police around the world, especially when it comes to missing people.
‘We congratulate the authorities of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands for their leadership in Operation Identify Me. Their important work continues.”
INTERPOL is urging the public, particularly those who remember a missing friend or family member, to get in touch through its Identify Me portal if you recognize anyone on the site.
The campaign was launched by the International Criminal Police Organization after a forensic detective pressed for information to solve a 1999 cold case.
The female victim was found shot in the head and chest in a wheelie bin on the Gaasp River in Amsterdam.
Detective Carina Van Leeuwen and a colleague, who had been working on the case since 2005, asked German and Belgian forces for help.
Interpol launched an appeal to the public to help identify 22 women (12 pictured) found since 1976
He spearheaded the project to pool resources from European police forces to help find answers to 22 separate long-unsolved cases, some of which date back forty years.
When Operation Identify Me was launched, Detective Van Leeuwen said that while she hoped identifying the victims would help find their killers, her main concern was “the identity of the woman, just to return her to the family.”
He added: “You are a person, you have a name, you have a story, and the story must be told to the end, even if the end is tragic and horrible.”