Honour killing story

Helin
born: 1976
Attempted murder: 20 September 2019
Location: Bielefeld
Origin: unclear
Children: various
Perpetrator: her ex-boyfriend (45 years old at the time of the crime)
In September 2018 Helin will divorce her boyfriend. On 20 September 2019 he will be waiting for her on a platform of the subway station Jahnplatz in Bielefeld. He grabs her in a head grip. Then he sticks a knife in her face and head. Later there is talk of "a multitude of knife stings". Witnesses intervene and are also wounded: a Moroccan and an Iraqi. Helin comes to the hospital with life-threatening wounds, but survives. A good 10 days after the crime, she is able to be interrogated.

The perpetrator tries to flee, but is still arrested at the subway station. The knife is found in the tramway track. The real names of the people involved are not known, not even their nationality. However, a local newspaper has blocked the comment function. The public staging, the knife in the head, the threats to crime - all this could indicate an attempt at honour killing. An additional indication could be that some articles strongly emphasize the Moroccan and Iraqi origin of the helpers, but remain silent about the origin of the perpetrator and the victim. An obvious assumption could be: Origin: Turkey, born in Germany. But it could also be anything else.

They say that the victim is a multiple mother. The perpetrator has no right of contact, so he is probably the father of the children. At the time of the crime there was already a restraining order to approach the woman, more than 10 criminal charges have been filed.

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:

Questions about honour killings

  • 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.

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