Honour killing story: Reem I. (2019)

Brake I.
born: 1992
murdered: 3/4 September 2019
Residence: Nottuln-Appelhülsen (Münsterland / NRW)
Origin: Syria
Children: 1 daughter, 2 sons (5, 8, 10 years)
Perpetrator: her husband Fadi I. (34 years)

On September 4, 2019, shortly after midnight, neighbors call the police. Reem is found dead in a wooded area. The body indicates extreme violence. Her divorced husband Fadi then committed suicide, probably by throwing himself in front of a train.

The couple had 3 children. The eldest son is 9 or 10 years old, the mother had him when she was 17 or 18.

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.