Woman whose remains were found in France identified after more than 20 years | World News

The true identity of a woman whose body was discovered in a rainwater collector has been revealed after more than 20 years.

French authorities identified the remains as belonging to Hakima Boukerouis, a woman believed to have been between 35 and 47 years old, according to Interpol.

The international police body was trying to reveal her name as part of its Identify Me campaign and had called her “the woman with the Richmond dental crown”.

She is believed to have died between September and October 2004.

Interpol added that the Gendarmerie Criminal Investigation Section, based in Metz, had confirmed the arrest of a suspect linked to her death.

It’s the first arrest made in connection with a case featured in the Identify Me campaign.

According to Interpol’s website, Ms Boukerouis’s remains were found on a roadside in the village of Saint-Quirin on 7 January 2005.

Her remains were concealed in a Harcostar-brand barrel-shaped rainwater butt, wrapped in black bin bags tied with cords.

Interpol say that the same rainwater butt was seen in mid-October 2004, floating in the Red Saar River.

Investigations carried out at the time suggested the woman could have been from Eastern Europe, specifically Russia.

Dental analysis found that she had recently had a Richmond crown – an expensive treatment at the time – that may have been carried out in Germany.

In a statement on Tuesday, Interpol said authorities were able to identify Ms Boukerouis using familial DNA searching.

Secretary general Valdecy Urquiza said the discovery “underscores how important it is to keep investigating unresolved cold cases”.

“Progress like this also shows the real impact of making full use of available identification tools,” he added.

“Interpol remains committed to supporting its member countries in identifying unknown deceased persons and strengthening investigations through continued co-operation.”

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Ms Boukerouis is the fifth unknown person whose name was discovered as part of Interpol’s Identify Me campaign.

The campaign aims to identify 47 women whose bodies were found in Europe over recent decades, and is co-ordinated between Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.

One woman identified as part of the campaign was Rita Roberts, from Cardiff, who was previously referred to as the “woman with the flower tattoo”.

Her remains were identified in November 2023, 31 years after her body was found against a grate in the Groot Schijn river in Antwerp, Belgium.

Interpol added that 42 cold cases are still outstanding.

Click here to view them all.