Honour killing story: Fethiye (2007)

Fethiye
born: 1972
Shot dead: April 11, 2007
Residence: Cologne
Origin: Turkey
Children: 2 girls (16, 17 years old at the time of the crime), 1 son (8 years old)
Perpetrator: her ex-partner Hamsa (41 years old)

In 1997, Fethiye and Hamsa met. The following year, a son was born. Fethiye already has two daughters, one of whom is disabled.

During their relationship, Fethiye filed charges against her partner for domestic violence three times. In the summer of 2006, they divorced, but she remained in contact with him.

On April 11, 2007, the occasional worker shoots his ex-partner in her home. Their son is present, as well as other family members. The perpetrator initially flees, but turns himself in to the police the next day with a lawyer.

The children are given a guardian by the Youth Care Agency. Because the guardian deceives the children, the case is again reported in the press three years later. Hamsa is probably not the real name of the perpetrator.

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.