Strasbourg, 14.05.2009 – “No religion advocates so-called ‘honour crimes’, and there is no honour in these crimes,” said John Austin (United Kingdom, SOC), at a meeting of the Equality Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Istanbul today. “All forms of violence against women in the name of traditional codes of honour must be considered to be crimes, unacceptable in any culture, and be harshly punished by the courts. We should not concede any form of social and cultural relativism,” said Mr Austin, the author of a report on the urgent need to combat these crimes, which was today approved by the Equality Committee.
“It is also crucial that women should know where to find help if they are subjected to violence in the name of ‘honour’ and that the law lays down measures for victim protection and assistance,” the rapporteur added.
Mr Austin’s report points out that, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world total of murders in the name of ”honour” may be as high as 5,000 victims a year, concentrated in Muslim countries and communities (this figure only accounts for homicides, and does not include other forms of violence inflicted in the name of honour, such as assault, captivity or interference in the choice of spouse or partner).
As far as Turkey is concerned, the report of the Human Rights Directorate of the Office of the Turkish Prime Minister refers to 231 “honour killings” in 2007, most frequent in large cities, with 167 killings in Istanbul over the past five years and a two-fold increase in killings, from 27 to 53, between 2006 and 2007. Mr Austin welcomed progress made in Turkish legislation, which now provides for a more severe sentence for such crimes.
The press conference scheduled forFriday 15 May, 11.30 am,at the Sofa Hotel in Istanbul, in the presence ofSelma Aliye Kavaf, Turkish State Minister for Women and Family Affairs, andNimet Cubukcu, Turkish Minister of Education, has been cancelled.
