Honour killing story: Sonoor (2008)

Sonoor
born: 1991
nearly beaten and kicked to death: July 15, 2008
Residence: Trier
Origin: Iraq
Children: none
Perpetrator: her brother, Abbas A., at the time of the crime 21 years old, in Germany for 12 years, German passport

Sonoor's family has been living in Germany for 15 years, but the Iraqi village's rules of upbringing remain in place. At least father and brother abuse the girl. Therefore, in April 2008, she is taken to an emergency shelter for women and girls.

This apprehends her older brother Abbas as an affront to family honor and beats up Sonoor in May.

As a result, the local court issues an order that he is no longer allowed near her (this information varies in coverage).

However, Sonoor needs her parents' signature to apply for BAFöG. To be on the safe side, she takes a guardian from the youth welfare office with her. But the mother refuses to sign.

When Sonoor gets back on the street, her 21-year-old brother ambushes her. He hits her several times with a sidewalk tile on the back of her head. As she lies on the ground, he continues to kick her. "Completely out of control," the prosecutor will later call it. Only the guard, a passerby and later the mother are able to calm him down and hand him over to the police.

Sonoor is taken to the hospital unconscious and with severe skull and facial injuries. Her guard is also seriously injured. The perpetrator has been remanded in custody. The parents are being deprived of custody.

In December 2008, the trial begins. The perpetrator claims that his intention was not to hurt his sister. He only wanted to teach her a lesson. Reportedly, they had reconciled again.

It is, unfortunately, not entirely uncommon for victims of attempted honor killings to protect the perpetrators afterwards in court. Clan honor is considered more important than German law. On February 25, 2009, Abbas was sentenced by the Trier District Court to four and a half years in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm. At the announcement, he laughs at the conviction.

Sonoor is not the real name of the Iraqi-German woman.

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.