A woman’s body discovered in 1992 has been identified as Rita Roberts, a 31-year-old British woman from Cardiff, thanks to Operation Identify Me.
Roberts’ body was found on 3 June 1992 in the Groot Schijn River in Deurne. A notable feature was a flower tattoo inscribed with ‘R’nick’, but her identity remained unknown at the time.
Fast forward thirty-one years, Operation Identify Me has finally put a name to the victim. The operation — a campaign launched in May by Belgian, Dutch, and German police forces in cooperation with Interpol — aimed to identify 22 girls and women discovered dead in the three countries.
"A few days after the campaign launched, The Missing Persons Unit of the federal police received an email from the UK," said a prosecutor’s office spokesperson." A family member recognised the distinctive floral tattoo described in the search notice."
"The victim appeared to be Rita Roberts, who had moved from Cardiff to Antwerp in February 1992. The last sign of life her family received was a postcard stamped on 6 May 1992. The inscription R’nick’ also pointed to the British woman, and with additional information and photos, her identity was definitively determined," said spokesperson Kristof Aerts.
'At peace'
A family spokesperson in the UK expressed that the news was shocking and heartbreaking. "Our passionate, loving and free-spirited sister was cruelly taken from us. We struggled to fully articulate the grief we felt then and still feel now."
"Despite the painful nature of the revelation, we are incredibly grateful to now know Rita’s fate. We miss her immensely, but are thankful for the exceptional support and care of the Missing Persons Unit, Antwerp Federal Judicial Police, Interpol, and Durham Police in the UK. Their cross-border cooperation returned an identity to a missing woman, assuring our family, at least, that she’s at peace," the spokesperson said.
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The family was involved closely in the investigation through the Federal Police’s social worker. They requested no further contact from the media during their grieving process. An official death certificate has been issued, rectifying the original with Roberts’ identity.
The Antwerp prosecutor’s office, alongside the Federal Judicial Police of Antwerp, continues to investigate Roberts’ unsolved murder. Despite interviewing individuals who knew Roberts, no significant breakthroughs have been made since identifying her, according to Aerts.
People who knew Rita Roberts, or have any information relating to her death, can contact the investigation unit at 0800/300.30 or via email at opsporingen@police.belgium.eu. International callers are advised to dial 0032/2.554.44.88.
