London: Trial re-opens against family suspected of 'honor' murder

London: Trial re-opens against family suspected of 'honor' murder


A teenage girl was murdered by her father and his brothers for bringing shame on the family by falling in love with the wrong man, the Old Bailey heard today.


The body of 15-year-old Tulay Goren has still not been found 10 years after she disappeared from the family home in north London, the jury was told.


Tulay, whose family were Alevi Muslims, was allegedly killed after sleeping with Halil Unal, 30, a Sunni Muslim, the court heard.


Jonathan Laidlaw, prosecuting, said: “Tulay's father [Mehmet] was outraged and filled with a sense that his reputation and that of his family had been destroyed. Mehmet's brothers shared responsibility with Tulay's father for the restoration of the family honour.”


As a result Tulay was murdered, her body hidden in the back garden then removed. Mr Unal was attacked with an axe but survived. Tulay's father and uncles were arrested in 1999 but the charges were dropped until a cold case review was opened and her mother agreed to give evidence.



Mr Laidlaw said the term “honour killing” was a misnomer. “There is nothing honourable at all about the murder of a young woman by her own family.”




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Source: This is London

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