Family “Honor” Killings.

Abstract

Family ‘honor’ killings are an extreme form of ‘honor’-based violence. Unlike other forms of domestic abuse and family violence, victims, who are predominantly women and girls, are killed by their relatives or members of their community. Perpetrators often claim, in their defense, that the murder was committed to protect or reclaim their family’s or community’s honor after the victim publicly dishonored them by behaving in a shameful way. Often fueled by community gossip and slurs, victims can be judged, charged, and punished without evidence for a range of behaviors, including pre- or extra-marital intimacy or sex, refusing a forced marriage, or being a victim of sexual assault.