British Woman Identified as Murder Victim 31 Years After Disappearance in Belgium: Family Devastated by Senseless Killing

Accident – Death – Obituary News : The family of a British woman who went missing 31 years ago has been left heartbroken after discovering that she was brutally murdered in Belgium. Rita Roberts, 31, was identified as the victim whose body was found dumped in the Het Groot Schijn river in Antwerp on June 3, 1992. For three decades, Rita had been known only as “the woman with the flower tattoo” until her distinctive inkwork helped in her identification through an international appeal.

Rita’s family, who had spent over 30 years agonizing over her disappearance, expressed their devastation upon learning of her “untimely and senseless murder” in Belgium. Paulette Roberts, who is married to Rita’s brother, credited her sister-in-law Donna Anderson with helping in the search for Rita. Mrs. Roberts said, “The joy of this reunion is marred by the tragic news of Rita’s senseless murder in Belgium. Rita passionately loved her family and will be greatly missed.”

Rita had moved to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992, and her family last heard from her when they received a postcard in May of that year. Just a few days later, her body was discovered in the river, with detectives suspecting that it had been there for some time. She was wearing distinctive neon sports clothes and had a tattoo of a black flower with green leaves and the inscription “R’Nick” on her left forearm.

Rita remained unidentified for 30 years until an international effort was launched this year to identify her body. A relative recognized her tattoo while watching the news, leading them to contact the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and Belgian authorities. Rita Roberts is the first case among the 22 victims in the appeal to have been identified.

Mrs. Roberts spoke about the other unidentified women, saying, “As Donna and my husband grapple with the pain of losing Rita, we are also compelled to raise awareness about 21 other unidentified women who, like Rita was, are waiting to be recognized and reunited with their families.” She appealed for support in sharing the information to potentially help other families desperate to find their loved ones.

Rita’s body was found near Antwerp’s Sportpaleis events hall in a busy residential and shopping area. Belgian authorities are now urging the public to come forward with any information that may help them in their search for her killer.

The case of Rita Roberts falls under INTERPOL’s “Identify Me” program, which was launched earlier this year to help solve cold cases. The program aims to identify 22 suspected female murder victims through public cooperation. Since its launch, the program has received over 500 messages and tips from the public. Secretary General Jürgen Stock congratulated the authorities in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands for their work on Operation Identify Me and emphasized the importance of global police collaboration in cases involving missing persons.

The family of Rita Roberts expressed their gratitude to the agencies involved in the investigation, saying, “This cross-border collaboration has given a missing girl back her identity and enabled the family to know she is at rest.” They described Rita as a passionate and loving person who adored traveling and loved her family dearly. They hope that wherever she is now, she is at peace.

The appeal to identify the 22 women was launched by INTERPOL after a forensic detective pushed for information to solve a cold case from 1999. The project brought together resources from European police forces to solve long-unsolved cases, some dating back 40 years. Detective Carina Van Leeuwen, who had been working on one of the cases since 2005, emphasized the importance of giving the victims their identities back and bringing closure to their families. She said, “You’re a person, you have a name, you have a history, and the history has to be told until the end, even if the end is tragic and horrible.”.