Suspected honor killing in Stockholm: 14-year-old girl killed by her family because she hung out with friends after school

Aida
Born: 2008
Murdered: 19 May 2022
Residence: Nacka, Stockholm, Sweden
Origin: Ethiopia
Children: She was a child herself
Perpetrators: Mother (46 years), brother (17 years), cousin (21 years)

In 2019, Aida emigrated with her mother and two brothers from Ethiopia to Sweden. The children's father is not registered in Sweden. The family is said to adhere to the Islamic faith.

The mother was dissatisfied with the settlement support and child benefits she received and turned to the court in 2020 requesting to receive social assistance as well. Her request was denied by the court, arguing that the family received more benefits than other welfare recipients and that she should have planned her finances better. Nevertheless, additional food allowances were granted "so that the children would not suffer."

On Thursday, May 19, 2022, 14-year-old Aida was found dead in the family's villa in Nacka. Her family told the police that she committed suicide. After the coroner concluded that Aida's injuries did not match the story told by the family, the mother, brother and cousin were arrested.

Police suspect that Aida was murdered by her family for reasons related to honor and that the family had then tried to make the murder look like suicide.

Aida was said to have been hanging out with school friends after school, which her family did not approve of. That she had a conflict at home was known at her school.

None of the suspects has been convicted of a crime in Sweden. All three deny the crime.

Aida is not the victim's real name. We would be happy with tips about this case!

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.