Honour killing story: Reyhan K. (2012)

Reyhan K.
born: 1993
Acid covered: 29 December 2012
Residence: Hilden/NRW
Origin: Turkey
Children: probably none
Perpetrators: her ex-boyfriend Serhat K. (22 years) and the Syrian Alan K. (18 years)

Reyhan is doing an internship as a wholesaler and foreign trader and is divorcing her boyfriend Serhat at the end of 2011. After that he starts stalking her and threatening her with death. Reyhan sues him, he is convicted but appeals. At the time of the crime there is a prohibition of approach.

In December 2012 Serhat has an 18-year-old Syrian from Langenfeld maim his ex-girlfriend with acid. He rings the doorbell and sprays sulphuric acid from a can in her face. Her skin is injured over a large area, especially on her head and hands, and her left eye is burned. The grandmother calls the ambulance, Reyhan is taken to an emergency clinic. The grandmother is also injured during the acid attack.

Both men are remanded in custody. In July 2013, the Düsseldorf Regional Court sentences the main perpetrator to 5 years and 7 months imprisonment for inflicting particularly serious bodily harm, and the accomplice to a juvenile sentence of 3 years and 6 months. In April 2015 there will still be a civil court case for damages caused by pain and suffering. Reyhan was burned all over her body and had to wear a compression suit for 2 years.

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.