Honour killing story: Nuran K. (2013)

Nuran K.
born: 1966
stabbed to death: 13 October 2013
Residence: Hamm
Origin: Turkey
Children: 2 daughters (13 and 15 years)
Perpetrator: her divorced husband Bahri (52 years)

Nuran and Bahri's marriage is violent.The marriage of Nuran and Bahri is violent. After 17 years, Nuran divorces in 2011. The two teenage daughters stay with their mother. Because the threats continue, a daughter obtains a restraining order.

Bahri does not accept this and lures his ex-wife to the basement on October 13, 2013. Allegedly he wants to get a bike. She probably takes a mobile phone out of fear, so she can stay in touch with her daughter.

Bahri stabs his ex-wife in the cellar 16 times with a hunting and butcher's knife. Probably the daughter listens to everything. Then he goes into the apartment. Clearly, he also wants to kill his older daughter. Neighbours hide the 15-year-old and call the police. Bahri's been arrested in the apartment.

Nuran is dying despite emergency surgery in the hospital.

The girls are placed in a nursing home. The process will start in March 2014. It turns out that Bahri was serving a prison sentence (for violence against his ex-wife and daughter) and had time off when he committed the murder. He is silent about the crime. A daughter reports daily assaults and kicks and years of violence.

In July, the perpetrator is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by the Hamm regional court.

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.