Afghan girl killed because she wanted to live a free life

Roqia
Age: 15
Drowned: June 21, 2024
Residence: Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Origin: Afghanistan
Perpetrators: father and mother

15-year-old Afghan Roqia lived with her parents and three siblings in an apartment building in Pirmasens, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in southwestern Germany. Roqia was mistreated by her parents; her mother often yelled at her and pushed her, while her father regularly beat her. Tensions ran high when Roqia began hitting back.

On June 21, 2024, Roqia's body was found in the Rhine River. Police assume that Roqia was tortured by her parents and that they then drowned her in the Rhine River. The father reportedly admitted that he was dissatisfied with his daughter's free lifestyle.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.