Honour killing story: Barbara (2010)

Barbara
Born: 1969
Attempted murder: 7 May 2010
Residence: Oldenburg
Origin: victim: Germany; offender: North Africa
Children: unclear
Perpetrator: her husband (38 years old at the time of the crime)

Barbara wants to divorce her husband. His origin is given as North Africa, presumably he comes from Tunisia or Morocco. He does not want to accept the divorce and chases her with a knife into their shared flat on 7 May 2010. He shouts "I'm going to cut your throat now", aiming first at her face, then at her stomach. Barbara flees, calls the police and is taken to hospital by ambulance.

The next day, the perpetrator is caught. He has a criminal record for sexual assault, among other things. Arrest warrant and charges are for inflicting dangerous bodily harm and attempted manslaughter.

In December 2010, the perpetrator was sentenced by the Oldenburg District Court to three years in prison. The sentence stated that the court assumed the intention to kill. The offender then released his wife.

Barbara is not the real name of the woman. We would appreciate any tips on this case!

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.