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“There is no honour in so-called ‘honour crimes’”, says the Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Equal Opportunities

10/02/2010 Equality and Non-Discrimination

“I am appalled and outraged by the murder of a 16-year-old girl recently committed in Turkey, in the name of so-called ‘honour’”, said José Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), speaking today.

“The torture suffered by this young girl, buried alive, is intolerable. There is no honour in so-called ‘honour crimes’, and no tradition or culture can invoke any kind of honour to violate women’s fundamental rights”, he added. “As recommended by the Assembly in a resolution and a recommendation adopted in 2009, a stop must be put to these crimes and urgent practical measures taken, including reform of the laws to provide potential victims with effective protection and severe punishment of the perpetrators”, Mr Mendes Bota concluded.
 
The Committee Chairperson announced that he would, on 22 February, be asking the committee of experts responsible for drafting the future Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO) to make so-called “honour crimes” a specific offence under the convention.