Honour killing story: Anna (2007)

Anna
Born: 1972
Attempted murder: January 3, 2007
Residence: Remscheid
Origin: Perpetrator: Italy
Children: yes, number unclear
Perpetrator: her divorced husband Francesco S. (age 38 at the time of the crime)

On January 3, 2007, Francesco, an Italian, lies in the stairwell waiting for his divorced wife. He knocks her down in front of the basement door and shoots her 5 times. The victim survives badly wounded. The perpetrator is arrested near the crime scene. He denies the crime.

For attempted murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm, Francesco is sentenced in September 2007 by the court in Wuppertal to a prison term of 9 years and 6 months. He still denies the crime, but the evidence is clear: DNA traces, gunpowder traces, the victim's testimony. The murder weapon was never found.

What speaks to an honor killing? In addition to the divorce situation, a psychiatrist wrote in his expert report for the trial that the couple's marriage was strained by hostility from both families. The woman had become more and more emancipated, which would not have fit in with the patriarchal thinking of the man. This would be the classic starting point for an honor killing. However, not much can be found about this case, not even the real name of the woman. Any leads would be appreciated.

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.