One week after the launch of Operation #IdentifyMe, INTERPOL received important new information in the search for the identity of deceased women. #IdentifyMe is a public appeal to identify 22 women, believed to have been murdered in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, but whose identity was never found. Police organizations have so far received more than 200 tips by providing potential names of victims in several cases.
INTERPOL has published a Black Notice for each victim; these alerts are for police only so they are not public. But here we have shared details of each case, including facial reconstruction images and other potential identifiers, in the hope that someone might recognize them. Al Black Notice is an INTERPOL alert issued to the police worldwide to seek information about unidentified bodies.
The appeal has received overwhelming media attention. While some public members have shared information about the potential origins of clothing or jewelry, others have pointed to possible names of specific victims. Further investigation is needed before any conclusions can be drawn. Tips have come from all over the world, which shows the importance of communicating globally on such cases.
All four organizations involved in the appeal thank the public for their recent engagement. Martin de Wit of the Dutch Police said: “We are extremely grateful for all the support and attention. We have heard from experts from all over the world spontaneously offering their help. It is heartwarming to see how people are massively sharing the call online and continue to do so.“
