Honour killing story: Sevtap (2009)

Sevtap
Born: 1972
Attempted murder: February 28, 2009
Residence: Berlin
Origin: Turkey
Children: 2
Perpetrator: Volkan P., her divorced husband (aged 41 at the time of the crime)

Sevtap was stabbed in the street by her divorced husband at around 5 o'clock in the morning. Her companion Hakan (age 31) is also attacked. Both survive seriously injured and are hospitalized.

In the afternoon, the perpetrator also goes to the hospital, probably to attack his wife again. He is arrested in front of the hospital by a special police unit. The arrest warrant is later for attempted manslaughter.

In the summer of 2009 there is a trial before the district court in Berlin. Result unfortunately unknown.

Hakan is probably not the correct name of the companion.

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.