Honour killing story: Maria (2012)

Maria
born:1984
stabbed to death: July 12, 2012
Residence: Lauffen (Heilbronn district)
Origin: Victim: Portugal; Perpetrator: Turkey / Kurd
Children: 6
Perpetrator: Her ex-husband (31 years)

On July 12, 2012, Maria sits in the morning with a friend in a cafe (or snack bar) on Bahnhofstraße in Lauffen. Later the newspaper will say that she has six children, which is unlikely, but possible given her age (28 years). At 11 o'clock her ex-husband shows up and stabs her. The two have a son whose fatherhood has been recognized by the Kurd. However, it is not clear whether he is the biological father. Since the perpetrator is deported to Turkey, he possibly expects benefits from such "fatherhood".

The emergency doctor can no longer save the woman's life. The perpetrator escapes and is arrested in the afternoon in an apartment in Lauffen.

The perpetrator had previously stalked his ex-wife. Partly because of this he had been banned from approaching his ex-wife. Maria is not the real name of the woman. We're happy with tips.

In December 2012, the regional court of Heilbronn sentences the perpetrator to life imprisonment. A release can be considered after 15 years at the earliest.

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.