Honour killing story: Funda K. - No Honor In Killing

Funda K.
born: 1981
attempted murder: 1 July 2015
Location: Marl / NRW
Origin: Turkey
Children: 1 daughter (6 years)
Perpetrator: her husband Ersoy K. (39 years)

Ersoy is an electrical engineer born in Marl. In 2002 he meets his wife Funda, who grew up in Turkey. In 2009 they have a daughter.

Due to domestic violence Funda separates in 2014 and moves with her daughter to Haltern am See. Ersoy is prohibited from approaching Funda. There is a dispute about maintenance payments.

On 1 July 2015 Ersoy will leave for Haltern in spite of an approach ban. In an ice cream parlor he meets his wife and daughter, who immediately drive home. Ersoy follows them and suffocates his wife in the stairwell. Neighbours intervene. Ersoy gets a knife and kidnaps the daughter, who always "belongs" to the father in an islamic family. With her he flees to Italy. Probably with the intention of leaving the EU from there by ferry.

First he confirms to his wife on the phone: "Yes, I wanted to kill you". But then he is convinced by her and the police to return to Germany and to be arrested. The daughter is traumatized.

In January 2016, Ersoy will be sentenced by the jury court in Essen to 5 years and 9 months imprisonment for attempted manslaughter and child abduction.

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.