After a historic police campaign, a British woman who was murdered in Belgium more than 30 years ago has been identified.
According to Interpol, Rita Roberts’ family noticed her unique tattoo in a BBC story.
The 31-year-old’s last correspondence with her family was through a postcard in May 1992. The following month, her body was discovered.
The revelation was described as “shocking and heartbreaking” by her relatives.
They claimed, “Our passionate, loving, and free-spirited sister was cruelly taken away,” in a statement that Interpol released. “Whilst the news has been difficult to process, we are incredibly grateful to have uncovered what happened to Rita.”
In February 1992, Ms. Roberts had taken a trip from her Cardiff home to Antwerp, Belgium. After being brutally murdered, her body was discovered four months later, laying against a grate in a river.
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She was described by her family as “a beautiful person who adored travelling” and as someone who loved them. They also stated that she could light up a room and was the heart of the party wherever she went. We hope that she is content wherever she is right now.”
According to Stephen Kavanagh, head of Interpol’s police services, she was identified by a family member who saw her tattoo in a BBC News piece from May of this year. The tattoo is a black flower with green leaves and the word “R’Nick” inscribed underneath.
“A member of Rita’s family [saw] the Identify Me appeal through the BBC and suddenly realised there may be an opportunity that a lost member of their family had actually come to harm,” he explained.
The family officially recognised her when they met with detectives in Belgium after recognising the tattoo.
“There’s a terrible contradiction here – we’re proud that we’ve been able to work with member countries, we’re proud that we’ve been able to identify this poor woman, Rita, but we’re also devastated for the family because they’ve lost a loved one through brutal circumstances,” Mr. Kavanagh added.
The public is currently being urged by Belgian authorities to come forward with any information they may have regarding Ms. Roberts or the circumstances of her death.
BBC
