Honour killing story: Stefanie N. (2020)

Stefanie N.
born: 1984
Murder: 1 May 2020
Location: Herne / NRW
Origin: unclear
Children: 2 (2 and 9 years at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: her boyfriend Mario L. (39 years)

On May 1, 2020, neighbors hear suspicious noises from Stefanie's apartment in Herne-Wanne and call the police. The police find Stefanie's body. Cause of death is violence at the throat.

The perpetrator, whose profession is declared as an occasional worker, is arrested in the apartment. The two children were in the apartment at the time of the crime.

The first name Mario does not necessarily indicate an honour motive. Rather the violence against the throat, possibly in a divorce situation. The pictures indicate a non-German origin. However, the case is unclear.

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.