Honour killing story: Mustafa (2005)

Mustafa
born: 1972
stabbed: December 2005
Residence: Bremen
Origin: Turkey
Children: probably none
Perpetrator: Tamer S. (41 years old), divorced former husband of Mustafa's girlfriend

Few victims of honor killings are men. But the motive for an honor killing is always the alleged sexual misconduct (or indeed self-determination) of the woman.

Tamer, a Turk, lives separated from his wife but won't accept that she has a new boyfriend. He incites a 25-year-old mate to commit a joint murder. Because, he thinks, through her infidelity the woman has forfeited the right to life.

Both men wait for the couple in the port area of Bremen in December 2005.

There is a chase. Finally, the perpetrators stop the car in which the divorced woman and her new boyfriend are sitting. Tamer stabs the boyfriend, the youngest tries to kill the woman. She survives wounded.

In June 2006, the trial begins at the district court in Bremen. Then the trail of the case is lost in the news coverage. We would be grateful for any information - including the correct name of the victim.

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.