Man Jailed for "Honor Killing" in Germany

A 19-year-old man of Turkish origin was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for the "honor killing" of his married sister's boyfriend. The defendant, whose name was not released, admitted before the regional superior court in the southern German city of Stuttgart to stabbing his sister's lover to death in October 2004 to salvage his family's honor. He told the judges that he had demanded the man end the affair with his sister but said he only laughed at him. The brother then stabbed the 27-year-old nearly 40 times. The sister and her husband, who had also started a new relationship, had already filed for divorce at the time of the murder. Forty-five "honor killings" were committed in Germany between 1996 and 2004, primarily against women, according to Papatya, a Berlin-based organization offering crisis assistance to young Turkish women.