Honour killing story: Vera (2019)

Vera
born: 1987
Attempted murder: 12/13 October 2019
Residence: Hamburg
Origin: Perpetrator: Serbia
Children: 1 son (3 years)
Perpetrator: her ex-boyfriend Zeljko M. (43 years)

In the night of October 13, 2019 Zeljko enters through the balcony door the apartment of his ex-girlfriend in Hamburg-Heimfeld. He stabs her and tries to cut off her head. Then he wounds the neighbor (61 years old) who is also present. During the crime, the 3-year-old son and his nephew sleep in the apartment.

The next morning, the perpetrator turns himself in to the police. The son goes to family.

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.