European police met in The Hague earlier this week to discuss ways to eradicate honor killings. According to UN Wire, honor killings are on the rise in Europe within Turkish, Asian, Arabic, and Eastern European communities.
More than 100 murders suspected of being honor killings are being investigated by police in England and Wales, reports BBC News. In England, police believe that several of the murders were conducted by contract killers that were hired by the family. In addition, the metropolitan police in England report that two women a week are seeking protection from the police because they felt they were in danger of being killed in the name of “honor.”
Some specific examples of honor killings brought up at the conference included the case of a 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death by her father two years ago because she was dating a boy of Christian faith, according to the Guardian. In Sweden, a 26-year-old Kurdish woman was killed by her father because of her relationship with a Swedish man, reports BBC News.
Attendees of the conference reported that there is a secret refuge in Berlin for Turkish women and girls seeking protection from honor killings, reports UN Wire.
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