Honour killing story: Leyla A. (2014)

Leyla A.
born: 1994
Strangled: 20 July 2014
Location: Raunheim (near Darmstadt)
Origin: Victim: Morocco; perpetrator: Turkey
Children: 2 (18 and 2 months)
Perpetrator: her friend Mustafa C. (30 years)

Leyla is 16 years old, is abused by her Moroccan family and flees to a youth institution. Later she seeks shelter with Mustafa, who is 10 years older. He is an experienced car mechanic, but works as a courier and warehouse clerk. The two marry according to Islamic rituals and have 2 children.

On 20 July 2014, Leyla will accuse her boyfriend of domestic violence. Mustafa has been removed from the apartment.

A few hours later he comes back and strangles her. The children are in the apartment at the time of the crime. He keeps the corpse wrapped in blankets on the balcony. Four days later, he reported to the police, accompanied by his lawyer. The corpse is completely covered with maggots.

Immediately Mustafa is accused of manslaughter. However, in May 2015 he will be sentenced to life imprisonment by the regional court of Darmstadt for murder, in accordance with the counterpart's demand. The judge speaks of an unconditional will to destroy. The Public Prosecutor's Office had only demanded 9 years for the murder.

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.