Iraq: Iraqi-Swede woman attacked, attempted honor-murder suspected

Iraq: Iraqi-Swede woman attacked, attempted honor-murder suspected

Though the original article (Göteborgs-Posten) mentions it several times, The Local manages to write an entire article about the case without mentioning the word 'honor'.

According to Mikael Törn, social consultant for Västra Götaland county, with 15 years experience in working against honor-related violence, this case is fundamentally important.  Usually the involvement of relatives in such cases is not fully investigated - the perpetrator is investigated, but the other relatives and family who encouraged the crime go free.  He says it's important to have such court cases and that light will be shed on these issues.


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The stabbing in Iraq of a local Swedish politician has prompted an investigation into whether or not the attack was paid for by the woman's relatives back in Sweden.


The woman, an Iraqi-born Swedish citizen who has lived in Sweden for 25 years, was attacked from behind while visiting her brother in Kirkuk in northern Iraq, the Göteborgs-Posten (GP)newspaper reports.


The assailant come up from behind and stabbed the woman several times, puncturing a lung and sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.


Iraqi police arrested the man two days later, but the woman has long suspected that disgruntled relatives back in Sweden were behind the attack.


The trouble started when the woman, who friends describe as a strong and self-assured advocate for women's rights, refused to bow to the wishes of influential member of her extended family, many of whom live in western Sweden.


"I upset him. In December 2007 I was threatened and I reported him to police," she told the newspaper.


According to the woman, the man's anger escalated when he learned of the police report, leading to the nearly-fatal knife attack in Iraq.


(more)


Source: The Local (English)

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