Honour killing story: Maryam (2019)

Maryam
born: 1993
stabbed: December 25, 2019
Residence: Idstein (Hessen)
Origin: Afghanistan
Children: 1 son (3 years)
Perpetrator: her husband Ghafur M. (31 years)

At the age of 15 Maryam married her cousin Ghafur. Later she comes to Germany and works in geriatric care. They have a son and live in Idstein in the south of Hesse.

In November 2019 Maryam is getting a divorce. Her new boyfriend, who also works in elder care, will later say that she had many injuries on her body: bruises and ligaments.

On Christmas Day Maryam brings their son to Ghafur. He pushes her to the ground on the public road, sits on her, pulls her head up by her hair and cuts her face. When he wants to cut her throat, the neighbors overpower him. Maryam drags herself a few meters and collapses in the garden.

The police find Maryam's body among the parked cars. The knife has been recovered. The perpetrator is arrested in the apartment. He has a criminal record of theft. The son is sent to a foster home.

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.