Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said: "After 31 years an unidentified murdered woman has been given her name back and some closure has been brought to her family." They had not heard from her since they received a postcard from her in 1992. She loved to travel and had left her home in Cardiff for the Belgian city of Antwerp in February. Her family have had to struggle with the pain of knowing she met aviolent deathbut are glad to finally know what happened to her.
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A family member said: "She had the ability to light up a room, and wherever she went, she was the life and soul of the party. We hope that wherever she is now, she is at peace." Since 1992 Rita’s family have been left wondering about her fate until a member of the family saw the Identify Me appeal through the BBC leading to her identification. "Our passionate, loving and free-spirited sister was cruelly taken away," they said in a statement, shared byInterpol. "While the news has been difficult to process, we are incredibly grateful to have uncovered what happened to our sister." Like the murder of Dr Brenda Page, which remained unsolved for 40 years, more details have now come to light.
Rita was 31 years old when she left forBelgium.
The woman with the flower tattoo
In the cases of 22 murdered women over 30 years, police have been frustrated by a lack of leads. Nobody could identify these women in the areas where they had been found. Detectives felt they may have been from other countries, perhaps Eastern Europe.As in the case of Sara Sharif,police will cooperate internationally to solve violent crimes of this nature. In an unprecedented move, Interpol decided the best chance would be to appeal to the public across Europe. Any identifying feature was highlighted in the hope that it would shed light on the cold cases. Rita's case was called: "The Woman with the Flower Tattoo." Rita had a tattoo on her right forearm: a black flower with green leaves and R'Nick written underneath. The body of Nicola Bulley, who went missing earlier this year, was found within weeks after British police similarly released information to the public.
Days after the Interpol Black Notice was publicised by means of an appeal made on the BBC, a family member saw the opportunity to discover what happened to Rita. When they saw the details of her distinctive tattoo, they recognised it and immediately contacted the police. And they weren't the only ones. Police say that they have received over 1250 tips since Operation Identify Me was launched in May and they are hopeful that some of these will lead to further identification of the 21 remaining cold cases. Now that they know who she was, Belgian authorities are appealing to members of the public for any information they may have that can shed light on the circumstances of Rita’s murder. In the meantime, the family of Rita Roberts can finally have closure and grieve the loss of their dear sister.
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Sources:
The Guardian: ‘Woman with the flower tattoo’ killed in Antwerp in 1992 is identified as Briton
Interpol: ‘The woman with the flower tattoo’ is named as Rita Roberts after 31 years
