Honour killing story: Dilara Ö. (2012)

Dilara Ö.
born: 1992
Attempted murder: 1 January 2012
Residence: Steinbüchel (Leverkusen)
Origin: unclear, presumably Turkey
Children: 1 daughter (2 years)
Perpetrator: her husband Yusuf (36 years)

Dilara is 19 years old and has a two year old daughter. This may (but need not) indicate a forced marriage.

On January 1, 2012, Yusuf throws his wife out the window on the 3rd or 4th floor. She lands on the asphalt. Neighbors call 911. The 2-year-old daughter was present at the crime and is taken to relatives.

Dilara undergoes emergency surgery and survives with head injuries and broken bones. Even days later she is still in an artificial coma. Yusuf is arrested, but then admitted to a psychiatric hospital. This could possibly support the assumption that Dilara did not voluntarily marry the man.

This crime can probably only be solved with a statement from the victim. Because of her injuries, however, it is unclear whether Dilara will ever remember this. So this case could also be the act of a seriously mentally ill man (and not a murder of honour). It is unclear how it will end. It is possible that Dilara dies and the man is eventually discharged from the psychiatric hospital. Maybe he brings his daughter to him. Maybe that is not possible because of his mental illness (if there is one), but it is possible. The outcome of the story is not known.

We are grateful for all the information (including the nationality of the victim and the perpetrator)

The newspaper indicates that the name Yusuf has changed.

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.