Honour killing story: Dalia T. - No Honor In Killing

Dalia T.
born: 1983
killed: 17 August 2015
Residence: Trier
Origin: Syria / Kurds
Children: 3 (1-3 years)
Perpetrator: her husband Saoud (32 years)

In the summer of 2015 Dalia and her husband Saoud will come to Germany as refugees from Syria. His profession is referred to as a construction worker. They have their two three-year-old twins and a child with them. Elsewhere it is said that the children are 5, 4 and a half years old. The family is housed in a double room in Trier.

On 17 August 2015 Saoud murdered his wife with a chair leg in front of his children. The autopsy shows that her body has been injured as a result of previous maltreatment. The man has been arrested. He denies the deed.

In April 2016, the trial in the Trier court will begin. Witnesses testify that Saoud had already threatened his wife with death and was violent towards his children. Dalia's mother and her brother (who live in Istanbul) say that Saoud beat his boys "like you beat adults" (whatever that means). The children are now housed in a children's home.

In July 2016, the offender is sentenced to 13 years in prison. The sentence mentions that Dalia rebelled against the patriarchal behaviour of her husband, which he did not accept. The children live in foster homes.

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.