Honour killing story: Angelique (2012)

Angelique / unborn child
Attempted murder / stabbing to death: 11 July 2012
Residence: Delmenhorst
Origin: Perpetrator: Turkey / Kurds / Yazidi; Victim: Germany
Perpetrator: Sehrivan, the sister of the father of the unborn child

The constellation of this honour killing is very unusual. Yet the honor motive plays a decisive role.

Sehrivan is Yezidin. Her best friend Angelique is German and lives with Sehrivan's brother. The two are expecting a child.

Yazidi often live better integrated, but have all the strict marriage rules. It comes down to the fact that the family of the father of the child does not want that child. Sehrivan's mother and the father of the child urge 19-year-old Angelique to have an abortion. But she refuses.

Sehrivan is visiting her pregnant friend. To kill the unborn child, she stabs her friend 12 times in the house entrance, of which 7 times in the stomach. At the hospital, Angelique undergoes emergency surgery and loses her unborn child.

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.