Honour killing story: Leila (2020)

Leila
born: 1993
murdered: 12 April 2020
Residence: Wuppertal
Origin: Morocco
Children: 1 (6 months)
Perpetrator: the father of the baby (43 years at the time of the crime)

Leila is - so they say - married "according to Moroccan law" and has a 6 months old baby of her 16 years older "husband". The perpetrator is called a German-Moroccan, she a Moroccan. One can assume an imported marriage. They split up in March 2020.

On Easter Sunday, Leila is found lifeless on the banks of the Wupper. Her "husband" has been arrested. The names of those involved are not known.

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.