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Two brothers were sentenced by a court on Tuesday for killing their sister, who has since become an icon in the fight against honor killings.
The older of the two brothers was given a life sentence, the longest sentence given for an honor crime. This case is likely to set a precedent for future verdicts and hopefully reduce crimes committed based on traditionally held beliefs about women.
İrfan and Ferit Tören killed their sister, Güldünya Tören, to “cleanse their family honor” after a second attempt and received sentences for the crime of attempted murder for their first attempt to kill her and murder for killing her.
Güldünya was “guilty” of being raped by her cousin, and refusing to become his “second wife” after giving birth to a baby. She was 22.
Brother İrfan Tören was sentenced to 16.5 years for the first attempt and to life for the murder.
Ferit Tören, who was a minor at the time of the murder in 2004, received eight years, four months for the initial attempt and 15 years for causing the death of his sister.
Güldünya, who escaped her brothers’ first attempt, was later shot dead by her brothers at a hospital where she was receiving treatment.
After the birth of her baby, Güldünya took refuge at a police station in İstanbul from her family, who promised the police that she would “not be killed.” Acting on the promise, the police sent Güldünya Tören to the home of her uncle, Mehmet Tören, in the Fatih district, where she was attacked by her brothers. She escaped this attack as well, and she was taken to the Bakırköy State Hospital suffering from major wounds. In her testimony to the police at the hospital, Güldünya said her brothers had indeed tried to kill her but that she was not going to file a complaint.
Two days after the first attack, the two brothers killed Güldünya with two bullets to the head.
Güldünya Tören, who left her village in Bitlis and moved to her uncle Mehmet Tören’s house, in her testimony on Oct. 8, 2003 had filed a complaint against Mehmet Tören, who she said had threatened her with death.
Murder in the UN report
Tören’s death came to symbolize the suffering of women who fall victim to crimes of tradition.
United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women Yakın Örtürk in a 2004 report submitted to the UN gave detailed information about Güldünya’s killing. The report said that Güldünya had “refused” to live with her relative, who had raped her, as his second wife, ran off to İstanbul to take refuge with the police, who returned her to her uncle despite the risk. Ertürk’s report also says officials at the Bakırköy State Hospital where Güldünya was shot shared responsibility for her death.
In 2004 Amnesty International started a letter-writing campaign to commemorate Güldünya, where participants wrote letters to her.
Her death was also covered by many of the leading press agencies and news sites in the international media.
Baby under protection
Güldünya Tören had given her baby, whom she named “Umut,” which means hope in Turkish, up for adoption to a couple. The baby was later taken from the couple by an order of State Minister Güldal Akşit after the slaying of Güldünya and placed in a childcare facility of the Social Services Directorate.
Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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This is happening everywhere, also in Europe...
-------------------- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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There are a lot of sick people in the world. Why rape anyone when there are prostitutes who are willing to do it for a fee.
Rape is a vicious crime and the cousin should be put to death, that sick puppy. The brothers should be made to kill the cousin and then the brothers should be killed as well.
There is NO honor in what the 3 of them did to that young woman.
-------------------- 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه و سلم) took hold of my shoulder and said, "Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller." Posts: 2342 | From: Its not where I'm from but where Im going | Registered: Jul 2007
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