Honour killing story: Zada (2010)

Zada
Born: 1996
doused with hot fat: December 4, 2010
Residence: Herten (NRW)
Origin: Lebanon
Children: at least 1 son (5 years old at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: her father (50 years old)

Zada's family is from Lebanon, her parents have 8 children. Her father marries her off. Zada has at least one son.

Zada divorces her husband and goes into hiding for a year and a half. After that, her father forgives her - supposedly.

On December 4, 2010, she spends the night at her parents' house in Deer South. While she sleeps, her father douses her with hot fat. In this way he wants to restore the honor of his family. The fat had been heated by his first wife; he also has a second wife.

In April 2012, the father is sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Bochum District Court. Zada had forgiven him in court. The judge justified the sentence as follows: "The defendant has placed his outdated moral views above the physical integrity of his daughter." The real names of those involved are unknown.

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.