After twenty years, a woman murdered in France has been identified, and a suspect has been arrested, Interpol revealed on Tuesday.
The victim’s body was discovered in early 2005 in a rain barrel in Saint-Quirin, a small village near the German border. Her remains were mutilated, placed in rubbish bags, and tied with ropes.
For two decades, her identity remained a mystery.
The case became part of Interpol’s ‘Identify Me’ campaign, which seeks public assistance in identifying female victims across Europe. The campaign focuses on cases involving 40 unidentified women.
This marks the first time since the campaign began that a suspect has been arrested, following the identification of one of the victims.
According to Interpol, most of the women in the campaign were murdered or died under suspicious or unexplained circumstances. Nine of the cases involve women found in Germany.
To aid investigations, Interpol has shared facial reconstructions, as well as images of jewellery and clothing found with the victims, on its campaign website.
So far, authorities have been able to identify five of the women. For the remaining cases, Interpol continues to call for public tips.
