Honour killing story: Jana M. (2019)

Jana M.
born: 1983
stabbed: April 6, 2019
Residence: Preetz (Schleswig-Holstein)
Provenance: Victim: Germany; Perpetrator: Afghanistan
Children: 2 daughters
Perpetrator: Wais S. (24 years)

Jana has 2 daughters of elementary school age. But the children live with their grandmother. Jana works as a saleswoman in Preetz, near Kiel.

On April 6, 2019, a 24-year-old Afghan citizen reports to the police. He had murdered a woman. The policemen find the body in her apartment.

Wais has been in Germany since 2015. His asylum application has been rejected. He has lodged an appeal against this. From his relationship with Jana, he is probably hoping for an improvement of his residence status. She probably wants a divorce at some point, which he does not accept.

Jana's children go to their biological father after the deed. There is no information as to whether he, too, was possibly violent. However, there is an unconfirmed rumor that Jana was active in refugee aid.

In April, Wais is admitted to the psychiatric ward.

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.