Honour killing story

Türel Yalman
Born: 1969
shot dead: 17 June 2003
Residence: Dinslaken
Origin: Turkey
Children: one son (13 years old at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: her husband Sebahattin (34 years old at the time of the crime)
Türel comes from a modern Turkish family and marries at her own request within a conservative clan. At the beginning of her marriage, she must wear a headscarf and is not allowed to work, even though she is trained as a saleswoman in retail or industry. She is also not allowed to cook, as they eat together at the mother-in-law's house. A son is born. Türel probably tries to escape more often, but returns because of threats from her husband's clan. It is not until 2003 that she finally files for divorce.

Her husband Sebahattin, however, will not accept this. On June 17, 2003, he stands guard at her front door for hours. When Türel wants to get into the car, he shoots her with seven bullets.

Nearly two weeks later, the two 34-year-olds would be separated. Three brothers of the murdered Türel hold a vigil for their murdered sister in Dinslaken and inform the media.

Only a few hours after the murder, the murderer's family hires the scandal lawyer Rolf Bossi to defend them. According to some Internet sources, the perpetrator is later sentenced to life in prison and Bossi's appeal for review is rejected.

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.

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