Honour killing story: Ali (2010) - No Honor In Killing

Ali
Born: 1982
Attempted murder: 11 May 2010
Residence: Essen/Bedburg (near Cologne)
Origin: Turkey / Kurds
Children: unclear
Perpetrator: the sister (20 years old at the time of the crime) of his partner

Filiz and Ayse come from a Turkish-Kurdish family. Their father, now deceased, had 2 wives (at the same time) and 15 children.

When Ayse was 3 years old, she came to Germany and had a few temporary jobs after she finished high school. Her sister Filiz possibly has an affair with Ali, divorces and marries him. Or the two live together without a marriage certificate. In any case, the relationship does not have the blessing of the traditional family. Filiz gets police protection in 2009.

The relationship of the two assesses Filiz's sister Ayse as an affront to her honor. In her diary she announces, "Today was the decision. I will do it." Then, "Tomorrow it will happen. It is about my honor." And later, "I have done it. I hope he's dead. If not, I will do it again." From this we can deduce: the perpetrator's motive is honor, premeditation, no remorse - typical characteristics for an honor killing.

Maybe Ayse was also singled out by her family, as she is still under juvenile law at the age of 20. Either way, this is one of the few cases of honor killing where a woman is the perpetrator. On May 11, 2010, Ayse stabs 28-year-old Ali with a knife in the back in a pedestrian tunnel near the Bedburg (near Cologne) train station. The stab is, it is later said, "almost fatal".

Beginning December 2010, the trial begins at the district court in Cologne. The clan stays together - including the victim. Ali, for example, does not want his statement to the police to be used in court. He wants nothing noticed and nothing seen. This deprives him of the role of co-plaintiff. The victim's partner (i.e., the perpetrator's sister) had also "lied so much that the bars were crooked," according to the prosecutor. In February 2011, the perpetrator was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in prison for attempted murder. The real names of those involved are not known.

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.