Honour killing story: Vanessa S. (2013)

Vanessa S.
born: 1983
Assassinated: 29/30 October 2013
Residence: Hannover
Origin: Victim: Germany; Perpetrator: Turkey
Children: 1 son (2 years)
Perpetrator: her divorced living husband Vahdi S. (30 years)

Vanessa is an educator and has a two-year-old son with her husband Vahdi. The couple lives divorced.

On 29 October 2014, Vahdi will have access to Vanessa's apartment through the balcony at 2 am. First he attacks her new boyfriend (27). He flees, wants help from the neighbours, but they don't open the door. He drags himself bleeding 500 meters to a gas station and calls the police from there. Meanwhile Vahdi cuts the throat of his ex-wife.

The common son is in the apartment during the deed. Then he is placed in a foster family. The perpetrator is arrested at the scene of the crime. Vanessa's new boyfriend is taken to the hospital.

In May 2014, the perpetrator will be sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for manslaughter by the Court of Hanover. In addition, he must pay the injured friend 13,000 euros compensation for pain and suffering.

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.