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On June 3, 1992, a pedestrian discovered the body of a woman in the Groot Schijn River near Antwerp, Belgium. It was clear it wasn’t an accident. Her body had several stab wounds and she also had injuries to her neck and back.
But who the murdered woman was remained a mystery for decades. Investigators tried to identify her through a description and posting photos of her tattoo and clothing. But there was no success. The woman’s body was buried anonymously – without a name or headstone.
Only now, 31 years later, is it clear: the deceased was Rita R.* (1960–1992) from Cardiff in Great Britain. The success of the research was due to the ‘Identify me’ operation. The Belgian, Dutch and German police worked together with Interpol. The goal: to identify 22 women believed to have been murdered. The international police group turned to the public with information about the bodies.
Identified thanks to rose tattoo
The list of people also reached Rita R.’s younger sister, Donna (61). She was able to identify R. based on her rose tattoo. That is why the family traveled to Belgium to name R.’s death certificate. The request was confirmed last week. There has never been a DNA test.
The family released a statement: “The news was shocking and heartbreaking. Our passionate, loving and free-spirited sister was brutally murdered. There are no words to truly express the sadness we felt then and still feel.”
The family never gave up the search. Brother Jason (45) tells the Daily Mail that he has been to the Netherlands and Belgium twice to look for his sister. “I think we all knew something terrible had happened.” He therefore contacted the police in both countries. However, she showed no interest in helping him.
Criminal past
As the family tells the newspaper, the deceased had a sensitive past. From the age of 22 until her death, she kept getting into trouble. She was involved in, among other things, arson, prostitution, theft and extortion. Eventually, a warrant was issued for her arrest. Because R. knew that she was threatened with prison, she fled to Belgium with her sister Donna’s passport.
R. spent time in Belgium and Amsterdam in his twenties. In previous years she also stayed in Antwerp, where her body was found. She endured forced prostitution there until her family rescued her, Jason says.
The family now faces the shock of certainty. Brother Jason says: “It brought closure for me. But when I was told she had been murdered all those years ago, I was at a loss for words.” Half-sister Joanne Bryan tells the newspaper: “Rita is brought home and buried. She was loved, you don’t leave your loved ones behind .” (Mrs)
*Name known
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
