In brief
Liudmila Zavada, a 31-year-old Russian woman, has been identified after her body was found in Spain two decades ago. This identification was made possible through Interpol's Operation Identify Me initiative aimed at addressing unidentified victims of violence against women. Investigations into her suspicious death are ongoing, while other cases remain unresolved across Europe.
A woman whose body was discovered in Spain more than 20 years ago has been identified through an international police campaign.
The woman was named on Thursday as 31-year-old Russian citizen Liudmila Zavada.
She is the third person to be identified through the Operation Identify Me initiative, which was launched by police in 2023 in an effort to find the names of women who had been murdered or died in suspicious or unexplained circumstances in Europe.
Valdecy Urquiza, secretary general of international policing agency Interpol, stated that this identification would give fresh hope to the families and friends of missing persons and provide new leads to investigators.
Zavada's body was found in July 2005 beside a road in the province of Barcelona, dressed entirely in pink. Investigations at the time indicated that the death was suspicious, leading to her subsequent identification through modern forensic technology.
Interpol's campaign continues as authorities seek to resolve the identities of another 44 unidentified women across several European countries, pointing to the ongoing challenges posed by global issues such as human trafficking and domestic violence.
