Honour killing story

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Sengül Obinger
Born: 1973
Attempted murder: 7 August 1997
Residence: Nuremberg
Origin: Turkey
Children: 1 daughter (4 years old at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: Rasit D., her husband (26 years old)
Sengül was born in Nuremberg. Even before she turned 18, her parents sought a husband for her in Turkey. Rasit, a distant relative, comes to Germany and abuses his wife for five years. A daughter is born of the marriage.

Sengül fails to get her high school diploma and becomes a hairdresser according to her father's wishes. But she continues her education and works as a personnel manager and for a tax consultant. Her husband becomes even more jealous and beats her and their daughter. Sengül flees to a women's shelter several times.

Sengül wants a divorce because of the violent excesses. Rasit beats her up on the street in front of the lawyer's office. Then he flees to Turkey. There his family gives him a gun.

On August 7, 1997, Rasit storms the apartment of Sengül's parents. He shoots at his daughter, his wife, his sister-in-law and his father-in-law. The latter manages to chase him away with an axe. Rasit then commits suicide.

As a result of the abuse, Sengül's daughter remains physically and mentally disabled. Later, Sengül marries again and has a son. The Süddeutsche Zeitung writes that she now wants to study law.

In 2011 her autobiography Löwinnenherz (=Lioness Heart) will be published.

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:

Questions about honour killings

  • 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.

Posted in Attempted murder, Investigation and tagged , , , .