17-year-old Zhinwar M. disappeared in Iraq: Police investigate her family

Zhinwar M.
born: 2005
missing since: 9 april 2022
Residence: Bielefeld
Country of origin: Iraq / Kurds / Yazidis
Children: none
Suspects: her family (father, mother, brother)

This story is based on an assumption: Zhinwar (nickname: Zhina) was born in Germany, her family is from Iraq. The family runs a kiosk in Bielefeld and is known to the Youth Protection Agency.

During the Easter vacations, Zhinwar travels with her father, mother and a brother to Turkey on April 9, 2022, where she undergoes or is supposed to undergo dental treatment. She posts pictures of it on the Internet. Then the family travels to Iraq, presumably to her parents' hometown, presumably in the Kurdish areas.

On April 24, Zhinwar used her cell phone for the last time. The next day, the family returns to Germany - without their daughter. Because she does not come to school, her friends inform the police. The parents had not reported their daughter missing, but now claim that Zhinwar had "gone into hiding" in Iraq. She jumped out of a cab and ran away.

The family is not cooperating with the German police and has hired a lawyer.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.