Honour killing story: Nazan D. (2009)

Nazan D.
Born: 1985
Attempted murder: 23 June 2009
Residence: Hachenburg (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Origin: Turkey
Children: unknown
Perpetrator: her father (metal caster, age 53 at the time of the crime)

In January 2009 Nazan takes over a hair salon in Hachenburg in the Westerwald. In June, her father enters the store with a knife and stabs her, allegedly because she has a married boyfriend. An insurance agent who happens to be there intervenes. The woman's life is in danger, but her condition later stabilizes. The father is arrested outside the store.

Some articles state that the woman lives separately from her Turkish husband. Presumably it was an imported groom who returned to Turkey after the divorce. For the father, this results in an honor motive: his daughter does not bow to his will, but wants to choose her own partner.

Father and daughter probably have German passports. Rumor has it that after the crime the father said, "I am her father, therefore I do this (or: therefore I am allowed to do this.)".

In December 2009, the trial begins at the district court in Koblenz. For attempted murder, the father is sentenced to 9 years in prison.

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.