People in Belgium are being asked to help solve the mystery of missing women, some likely murder victims, who have never been identified.
A 46-strong caseload includes “The Woman in the Well” case.
This relates to a woman found in Holsbeek, a town in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The town is connected to the city of Leuven via the Leuvensebaan, and it is about 30 minutes’ drive from Brussels.
On 6 August 1991, the body of a woman was found in a rainwater well in the grounds of a cottage on the Attenhovendreef. The Attenhovendreef is a rural forest road with some detached houses, just off the Leuvensebaan. Her body may have been in the well for up to two years.
A spokesman for Interpol, which is coordinating the campaign, said, “To this day, the identity of this woman remains unknown.”
The woman is believed to have been between 30 and 55 years old when she was found. At 1.54 meters, she was not very tall. Her teeth were in poor condition; she was missing her front teeth and may have worn a prosthesis for this, but it was not found. She had several tooth fillings in her lower jaw.
The woman wore a distinctive t-shirt with black vertical stripes and a summer print. The woman also wore dark plaid shorts, beige/brown knitted cardigan and a plastic or horn ring.
Another outstanding case is the so called “Woman in the Dam” mystery.
On 9 May 1996, the body of a woman was found in the lake near the largest dam in Belgium, La Plate Taille. The body may have been in the water for up to 1 or 2 years. To date, her identity is unknown.
The woman was between 25 and 35 years old and between 1.60 and 1.70 meters tall. Striking detail: her left leg was 2 cm shorter than her right leg.
She wore presumably red jeans from “VOS Jeans’, white socks with a red and a blue stripe and a black (left) shoe with a wide heel from ‘CYPRES’ in size 37.5.
Anyone with information regarding the possible identity of this, or any of the other cases, is asked to contact Interpol or the Belgian national police.
The Interpol spokesman asked, “Do you remember where your friend, family member or colleague was when you last saw them? Were they travelling anywhere?”.
“These women’s lives ended very abruptly but all have families and loved ones who may still be beside themselves with grief. They deserve some closure.”
An Interpol interactive page contains details on all the cases listed by the country where the bodies of the women were found. This includes information on the specific locations where the women were found.
People are warned that the pages contain information and images that they may find disturbing.
