Honour killing story: Sabine (2019)

Sabine
born: 1968
Attempted murder: 3 September 2019
Residence: Uetze-Krätze (near Hannover)
Provenance: Victim: Germany; Perpetrator: Dominican Republic
Children: unclear
Perpetrator: her ex-husband Danilo (33 years old at the time of the crime)

Danilo is 33 years old and known to the police. He has a Dominican and a German passport. The latter probably because of his marriage to Sabine, who is 18 years older. A newspaper article later describes her as a "very well-groomed qualified business administrator".

The two are separated, but still live together. On September 3, 2019 Danilo stabbed Sabine with a knife and held her for 3 hours. Only with a little luck she can escape to the neighbors. They call the police. The perpetrator has been arrested near the crime scene. Sabine is taken to the hospital and survives.

The real names of those involved are not known. It is possible that this is an honour killing. But it can also be a murder under delusion. The killer has a doctor's statement for paranoid schizophrenia.

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.