Honour killing story

Petra
born: 1961
stabbed to death: 7 November 2008
Residence: Waldbröl (NRW)
Origin: Victim: Germany; Offender: Guinea/West Africa
Children: 2 (at the time of the crime 2 and 5 years old)
Perpetrator: her husband Mouctar B. (at the time of the crime 23 years old)
At about 2002, Mouctar comes to Germany from West African Guinea and applies for asylum. He also meets the 23 year older married Petra, who already has a daughter.

Petra and Mouctar had a child together in 2003. The African is 19 years old and has been deported. Presumably Petra has not yet married him because she is not yet divorced.

The next deal is struck: Petra is allowed to travel to Guinea, marry her later murderer. Then he gets permission to re-enter Germany if he pays the deportation fee at the immigration office. The two have another child in 2006.

At the latest in the summer of 2008, violence ensues. Mouctar threatens to kill the entire family. There are charges of assault, a no-contact order and a restraining order.

On November 7, 2008, the perpetrator stabbed his wife 26 times with a knife in the presence of their 2.5-year-old son. Mouctar flees. A neighbor hears the screams and wants to call the police. The African comes back and knocks the cell phone out of the neighbor's hand. Petra arrives at the hospital badly injured and dies a few hours later.

Mouctar's cell phone is located at Cologne Central Station. He is arrested the same evening.

In April 2009, the trial begins before the district court in Bonn. In May, the perpetrator is sentenced to 12 years in prison for manslaughter. "Punitive" so it is said, is that the perpetrator shows no remorse in the courtroom.

The two young children end up with the victim's daughter, who is now an adult. She is from Petra's first marriage; that marriage was terminated by her in order to marry Mouctar. Petra is not the woman's real name.

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:

Questions about honour killings

  • 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.

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