Honour killing story: Mine O. (2019)

Mine O.
born: 1993
strangled: September 7, 2019
Residence: Duisburg
Origin: Victim: Afghanistan; Perpetrator: Turkey
Children: 1 son (5 years at that time)
Perpetrator: her husband Ercan E. (28 years)

Mine is a fairly modern woman, doctor's assistant, but does not work. Her family is from Afghanistan, Mine also has a German passport. Since 2013 she is married to the logistics assistant Ercan. His family is from Turkey. He also has a German passport. Together they have a son and live in Duisburg-Kaßlerfeld.

From September 7, 2019 Mine will be reported missing. Since October 21, there is a search for her all over Europe. At the beginning of December, the police arrest the man and search the apartment. After playing the worried husband for 89 days, Ercan finally confesses that he strangled his wife and hid the body in a rented garage in the Wanheim-Angerhausen district. Later, he transported it to an inaccessible part of the forest, where the cops find it.

In September 2020 the trial will start at the regional court of Duisburg.

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.