Honour killing story: Besma Akinci (2020)

Besma Akinci
born: 1993
shot dead: April 15, 2020
Residence: Einbeck / Lower Saxony
Origin: Turks / Kurds / Jews
Children: 3
Perpetrator: her husband Cemal (48 years at the time of the crime)

This case is unclear: First, it is reported that a 48-year-old man shot his 27-year-old wife. He has the gun illegally. The whole case would have been an accident. The perpetrator calls the emergency number 911. The couple has 3 small children.

Elsewhere it looks more like an honour killing. They say Besma is Cemal's second wife. He had no criminal record and was drunk when he did it. He will be released.

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.