Police arrest suspect after 48-year-old woman shot to death in Sembach, Germany

Raka
born: 1975
shot to death: February 23, 2023
Residence: Sembach (near Kaiserslautern)
Provenance: unclear
Children: 1 son (12 years old at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: her husband (57 years old at the time of the crime)

On February 23, 2023, the body of a woman is found in Sembach, north of Kaiserslautern. The husband is arrested in a residential house. There was already a court order according to the Protection from Violence Act. The perpetrator lived separately from his wife. She had left him, apparently he had already threatened her.

The murder weapon was found in a Mercedes. The car had earlier rammed the woman's car. More is not known so far, not even the names and origins of those involved.

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.