Honour killing story: Violetta R. (2020)

Violetta R.
born: 1982
stabbed to death: June 10, 2020
Location: Hagen (NRW)
Origin: Serbia / Kosovo / suspected Roma
Children: 1 daughter (3 years)
Perpetrator: her ex-boyfriend David G. (24 years at the time of the crime)

The 24-year-old David is wanted in Serbia with an international arrest warrant for human trafficking. The police storm the apartment of his ex-girlfriend Violetta on 15 June 2020. She is 14 years older than him and has a 3 year old daughter (not his). The names refer to Sinti and Roma. Violetta's family is from Kosovo.

The cops find the body of the woman with 50 stab wounds. She has been lying there for almost a week.

David is not here and took the 3 year old daughter with him. The next day he is arrested in Iserlohn. He wears a t-shirt with skulls and has the girl with him. She probably witnessed the crime. She ends up in youth care.

Later the following will become known: David was already in extradition custody, then released on June 2nd because of a carelessness of the German-Serbian authorities.

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.