Honour killing story: Sahar (2007)

Sahar
Born: 1982
stabbed: 26 May 2007
Residence: Nuremberg
Origin: Iraq
Children: unclear
Perpetrator: her former life partner Adnan M., 33 years old at the time of the crime

Sahar's parents sold their 18-year-old daughter in 2000 from Iraq to Adnan, a cab driver from Augsburg. The two are married by an imam from Munich. This is the beginning of her ordeal. Sahar is beaten and held like a prisoner. Although the religious ceremony is not considered a civil marriage in either Germany or Iraq, Adnan insists that he has unlimited rights over Sahar.

Despite this, the young woman learns German and integrates as best she can. In the fall of 2003, she fled from the apartment in Augsburg to a shelter for women, and then to other shelters. She receives a restraining order.

Then Adnan finds her in Nuremberg, possibly in a mother-child home.

On May 26, 2007 (i.e., four years after the divorce), he ambushes Sahar on the street and stabs her 18 times in the stomach and back. Through emergency surgery, she survives badly injured.

Adnan turns himself in to the police, but claims it is none of the officers' business if he kills his Iraqi wife.

The Nuremberg jury court sentences the perpetrator to 13 years in prison in April 2008. The Süddeutsche Zeitung points out that there will always be the danger that one day another of Adnan's family will complete his attempted murder. Sahar is not the Iraqi'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:

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.