Honour killing story: Filis (2004)

Filis
Born: 1990
stabbed to death: 31 May 2004
Residence: Neuenrade/Hagen
Origin: victim: Macedonia or Turkey; perpetrator: Turkey
Children: none, she was only 14 years old.
Perpetrator: Baris G. (20 years old at the time of the crime), probably her lover

This murder is not clearly an honor killing, at least not a typical one.

As far as is known, 20-year-old Baris has sexual intercourse with 14-year-old Filis. Some articles say she is Turkish, others Macedonian. One day they both drive, together with Fatih G. (17 years old) and Nicole (13 years old), to a parking lot for hikers near Hagen. Possibly it is about hugging for teenagers.

What happens next is unclear. Baris stabs Filis to death with thirty knife stabs. This could possibly indicate an honor killing. The victims of honor killings are usually brutalized. The world needs to see that the perpetrator got his way.

Because Nicole witnessed the crime, she too is supposed to die. Fatih stabs her to death. The two young men leave her in the parking lot, assuming she is dead. But Nicole survives, seriously injured, and is found by a motorist.

In March 2005, Baris is sentenced by the Hagen Regional Court to a youth sentence of 10 years and Fatih to nine years in prison. In the justification of the sentence there is a reference to a possible motive of honor. Baris would be married off by his family - to whom is unknown. But not to the victim. The family had chosen another young woman. Possibly the victim was pregnant, or perhaps she had threatened to be pregnant. Or maybe she was just joking and toying with the possibility of pregnancy.

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.