In industrialised countries such as Germany and England the number of honour killings committed have increased (Schirrmacher, 2009). Cases in both countries have experienced large media attention and have been closely reported. The media in western countries tends to magnify differences especially from and to the Islamic world (Nelken 2010). Honour crimes and killings do not only occur in Eastern and Arab countries such as Pakistan Turkey or Iran etc., through globalisation and the increase of migration, honour killings have become an increasing problem in western countries as well (Schirrmacher, 2009). Continuing improvements of various means of transport and mobility has acquired a new dimension in the world of modernity (Garland, 2001). Globalisation is as Held (1999) writes, the widening deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnections in all aspects of contemporary life. Honour killings are closely linked to globalisation and migration issues.
The most striking similarity between England and Germany is the total number of committed honour killings in the past few years. One can also find high resemblances in the convictions and sentences of perpetrator of honour killings. Despite these similarities the focus is to examine the cultural, social political and historical context of these high profile crimes in both countries.
The United Nation has published a response to crimes in the name of honour against women. In their last resolution from 2004 the UN expressed deep concerns that women and girls continue to be victims of honour based crimes. They remind states to exercise, to prevent, investigate and punish the perpetrators of such crimes committed against women and girls (UN, 2004). This comparative case study will focus on the state responses, which are required by the UN.
Therefore the examination will lay out the differences and similarities of state responses through legislations and police task forces and other law enforcements, how honour killings are recognised by the state in these two European countries. This examination will explore these responses within the cultural political social and historical context. In this project the focus is on honour killings, the extremist form of honour based violence and will undertake a comparison on how these two European countries respond to this violation of human rights in a broader context.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Justification
2. Methodology
2.1 Limitations
3. Germany
4. England
4.1 Important historical developments
4.1.1 ....in Germany
4.1.2 .....in England
5. Case Study - Honour killings
5.1 Germany
5.2 England
5.2.1 Cultural relativism
5.2.2 Seeing the full picture....
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Core Themes
The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of how England and Germany respond to honour killings, exploring how criminal justice systems are influenced by cultural, social, and historical factors within these two European nations.
- Comparative analysis of criminal justice responses to honour-based violence.
- The role of migration and cultural integration in shaping societal responses.
- Challenges in defining and statistically tracking honour killings in western contexts.
- The influence of national legal systems (civil law vs. common law) on crime management.
Excerpt from the Book
Case Study - Honour killings
To understand the crime of honour killing one has to look at honour and definitions of honour killings, and its occurrence in these two countries.
Honour killing is an old age ritual, which can primarily be seen as a manifestation of violence against women and a violation against human rights. Honour killings as the extremist form of violence and a violation of human and in particular of women's rights (Welchman and Houssain 2005)In some cases men are also victims of honour killings especially homosexuals, but as mentioned in the limitations we will only focus on honour killings of women.
Honour killings occurred in all societies of the world. Killings in the name of honour are mainly known among Islamic societies, but also appear among Sikhs and Christians in Syria or Yemen. In the contemporary world honour killings not only happen in societies in Eastern countries such as Pakistan, Turkey Yemen Saudi Arabia etc., through migration and people's movement in the globalised world, honour killings have increased in industrialised countries.
Honour killings can be distinguished from domestic killings of (ex)-partners in particular ways. Domestic homicides are dominantly committed by partners or ex partners. Honour killings are usually committed by a male member of the family such as father, brother, uncle cousin, husband or ex-husband. An honour killer generally does not feel any moral guilt. Quite contrary from his view he has done something valuable. His environment shares the same opinion and often has no interest in cooperating with the judiciary, which makes solving the crime more difficult. An offender of a domestic killing is aware he (or she) has committed a serious crime, for which there is nothing to apologize for (Ehrenmord, 2013). An honour killing is usually planed and not committed on impulse in comparison to a domestic killing (Schirrmacher 2009).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction and Justification: This section introduces the comparative study of how Germany and England respond to the rising issue of honour killings against the backdrop of globalization and migration.
Methodology: Outlines the qualitative approach used to analyze state responses, while addressing the limitations regarding data availability and linguistic interpretation of legal concepts.
Germany: Provides an overview of the German federal political system, its historical evolution, and its structure as a social market economy.
England: Describes the centralized political system of the United Kingdom and provides a historical context regarding its colonial past and the subsequent impact of immigration.
Case Study - Honour killings: Analyzes the nature of honour-based violence, the specific challenges in defining the crime, and provides a comparative look at how both nations report and intervene.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that while both countries face similar challenges, their approaches are conditioned by distinct cultural, social, and political histories.
Keywords
Honour killings, Comparative Criminal Justice, England, Germany, Human Rights, Migration, Cultural Relativism, Criminal Law, Forced Marriage, Domestic Homicide, Integration, Parallel Societies, State Response, Violence Against Women, Social Integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on a comparative analysis of how two industrialized European nations, England and Germany, respond to honour killings within their respective criminal justice systems.
Which thematic fields are central to the study?
The study covers the intersection of migration, cultural integration, criminal law, and the sociopolitical responses to honour-based violence in modern western societies.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to examine the differences and similarities in how state institutions recognize, investigate, and prevent honour killings, while considering the influence of historical and cultural factors.
Which research methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative comparative methodology, analyzing secondary data, governmental reports, and existing academic literature to assess "what works" in policy responses.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the political and historical backgrounds of Germany and England, detailed definitions of honour-based violence, and a critique of how institutional responses are hindered by cultural relativism.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Honour killings, Comparative Criminal Justice, Migration, Cultural Relativism, Forced Marriage, and Human Rights.
How does the German response to honour killings differ from the English one?
The study notes that Germany tends to be more explicit in its definitions and data collection regarding honour crimes, whereas England's approach is often influenced by broad policies on domestic violence and cultural sensitivity.
What role does 'cultural relativism' play in the findings?
The author argues that a move toward cultural relativism in policy-making has sometimes led to a reluctance to address honour killings at their source, potentially allowing for the growth of parallel societies.
- Quote paper
- Bettina Purcell-Riederer (Author), 2013, Honour Killings in Europe, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/230382
