Honour killing story: Romina C. (2019)

Romina C.
born: 1990
stabbed: 30 January 2019
Residence: Köln-Bilderstöckchen
Origin: Perpetrator: Morocco
Children: no
Perpetrator: her husband Karim B. (at that time 26 years old)

On 30 January 2019, a neighbor hears a cry for help early in the morning and calls the police. He tries to get into the neighbor's apartment. The police storm the apartment and find Romina covered in blood.

Romina comes to the clinic and dies after a few hours. The man is arrested. He is from Morocco and has lived in Cologne since 2016. The name of the victim, Romina, may indicate a Romanian background.

In October 2019 the perpetrator is sentenced to 3 years imprisonment by the regional court of Cologne - for a negligent high intoxication he caused with cannabis.

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.