Honour killing story: Cham (2013)

Cham
born: 1982
stabbed: 19 May 2013
Residence: Duisburg
Origin: Sri Lanka
Children: 2
Perpetrator: her husband Jamal (46 years old)

Jamal came to Germany in 1992 as a civil war refugee from Sri Lanka. Later his family found him a wife, probably an imported bride.

So in 2004 Cham was married by her family to a 15 year older man. They have 2 children and live in Duisburg.

On 19 May 2013 Jamal stabs his wife in her chest with a 22 cm knife. He stabs a few more times, doctors save her life later. Cham lies in hospital for 2 months and undergoes several operations. During the crime, the children are in the apartment.

In October 2013 the trial will start at the regional court of Duisburg. As motive the perpetrator claims that his wife wanted a divorce. In the same month, the perpetrator is sentenced to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment for inflicting dangerous bodily harm. The real names of the parties 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.