Honour killing story: Sharam K. (2020)

Sharam K.
born: 1989
murdered: 19 January 2020
Location: Ibbenbüren (near Osnabrück)
Origin: Victim: Iraq; Perpetrator: Syria
Children: unclear
Perpetrator: Almahdi A. (26 years at the crime)

At the end of 2016, Ahmadi comes to Germany with his wife, who is 10 years older than him, and a little daughter. In the autumn of 2019 they will split up, but will probably live together again later. Almahdi does an internship as a salesman, gets politically involved and is considered well integrated.

Early in the morning of January 19, 2020 he enters through the window into the apartment of hairdresser Sharam in Ibbenbüren. He stabs the sleeping Sharam with a butcher's knife. Then he sets the place on fire to destroy the tracks. Another tenant is seriously injured in the fire.

The day after the crime, the perpetrator is arrested in his apartment in Tecklenburg. The motive is a friendship with Almahdi's wife.

Later there is talk of jealousy.

In July 2020 the trial will start at the regional court of Münster. In September, the perpetrator is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, attempted murder and arson.

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.