How A Tattoo Led To Identification Of British Woman Murdered In Belgium 31 Years Ago

In a sigh of relief for the investigators and the family members of the deceased, a woman named Rita Roberts has been identified after 31 years of her murder. Rita's body was found on June 3, 1992 in a river in Antwerp, Belgium. She was among the 22 women murdered in mysterious circumstances and the case has since baffled the police for years. Police in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium were initially puzzled but later collaborated to identify the women involved, reported The Sun.

The police initiated 'Operation Identify Me,' and in an unprecedented move, Interpol publicly shared information about the unidentified bodies. They released details about the women, such as photographs and even facial reconstructions, including a picture of Rita's tattoo, in an effort to identify them.

Rita could be identified due to her distinctive flower tattoo shown in a BBC crime report. While her family had filed a missing complaint, they were unaware of the fate she had met years ago. 

An article about Rita was published this year that consisted a photo of her tattoo - a black rose with green leaves and 'R'Nick' written underneath. One of Rita's family members saw the article and identified Rita. The family members then went to Belgium to work with the police and identified Rita officially.

Rita had travelled to Antwerp in Belgium from her home in Cardiff in February the year she died. A month after she sent her family a postcard for the last time in May, her body was found in the Groot Schijn river lying against a grate.