Honour killing story

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Imre K.
born 1968
stabbed: July 23, 2007
Residence: Munich
Origin: Turkey
Children: 4 or 5 children together
Perpetrator: her husband, 43 years old at the time of the crime and in Germany for almost 30 years.
Faruk was born in Turkey, came to Germany as a schoolboy and later worked as a street sweeper in Munich. In 1984, his family married him to 16-year-old Imre.

The two have lived together for over twenty years and have 4 or 5 children. The marriage, as the court will later find, is dissolved. Imre flees to the women's shelter several times, but always returns home. On 23 July 2007, she again applies for a place for herself and her youngest daughter, who is 9 years old at the time.

In order to prevent them from splitting up, Faruk stabs his wife in the stomach with a kitchen knife about 20 centimeters long. Only when his daughter enters the bathroom, alarmed by the screams, does he let her go and flee to the neighbors. The next day he turns himself in to the police.

Other reports say that Imre had already been at the women's shelter and had wanted to pick up her youngest daughter that evening. Then there would have been an argument because she wants a divorce and he would have locked her in the bathroom. There is also talk of depression and psychotropic drugs. However, caution is advised: This statement can only serve to plead diminished culpability.

In the courtroom, Faruk speaks of a mistake. His wife had provoked him, saying, "I detest you." She says she will divorce him but has no interest in prosecuting.

In April 2008, Faruk was sentenced to eight years in prison for the attempted murder of his wife. The Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that the name Imre was changed by the editors.

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.

Posted in Attempted murder, Investigation and tagged , , , .