PARIS (AP) — The 22 girls largely met violent deaths.
Their our bodies, some dismembered, have been present in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands over a span of 43 years — the latest in 2019. Police say some confirmed indicators of abuse or hunger.
However who they have been is unknown, irritating detectives’ hunts for his or her killers.
Police hope which will change with the launch Wednesday of Operation Determine Me. The worldwide enchantment with Interpol is looking for public assist to place names to the ladies. Such a breakthrough would, at a minimal, allow police to not must establish the victims by their distinguishing options or attire — “the lady with the flower tattoo,” “the lady with the unreal nails” — or areas the place their stays have been found.
The oldest of the chilly instances, “The woman within the parking zone,” dates again to 1976. Her physique was discovered alongside the A12 freeway within the Netherlands. She is believed to have been between 13 and 20 years previous when she died. Interpol, the worldwide police liaison group based mostly in Lyon, France, distributed black-and-white facial reconstructions of among the victims. Hers confirmed a younger lady with lengthy, darkish hair and brilliant eyes.
In an announcement that quoted Dutch, German and Belgian police, Interpol stated among the girls are believed to have come from Japanese Europe and that their our bodies have been probably left in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to confound investigations.
“A lot of the 22 victims died violently, and a few have been additionally abused or starved earlier than they died,” Dutch police stated.
Police hope that studying their names may additionally present proof about attainable perpetrators. It may additionally permit them to ascertain whether or not any of the instances are linked.
“In comparable investigations, establishing the sufferer’s identification finally has led to the arrest of a suspect,” stated Anja Allendorf of the German police.
Interpol is making particulars about every case public on its web site, at www.interpol.int/IM. In addition to facial reconstructions of among the girls, it additionally contains photos of bijou and different objects discovered with their stays, and call kinds for individuals who might have any details about the instances.
Susan Hitchin, who coordinates Interpol’s DNA unit, stated figuring out the ladies might assist convey closure to their members of the family.
“It’s horrendous to go all these years with out having any information, not understanding what’s occurred. And nonetheless dreadful it might be to get that affirmation that their beloved one has died, it’s a part of an necessary course of in an effort to grieve and to maneuver ahead,” she stated in a cellphone interview.
“Hopefully a member of the general public will in a position to convey some new parts that the police can use that can finally present the identification to those victims and ideally assist result in the perpetrator, if there may be one.”