More incidents of honor violence in Netherlands; Victims almost always women

The police have noticed an increase in honor-related violent incidents in the Netherlands. Last year, the police registered 619 cases of violence because the family honor was violated and had to be “restored,” including four honor killings. Ten years ago, there were 460 cases. The victims are almost always women. A few cases involve men who “violated family honor” with their sexual orientation or affairs, NOS reports.

Almost two-thirds of last year’s cases involved threats or assault. Permanent surveillance, sexual abuse, and forced marriages also occurred. Four people were killed.

Almost a quarter of honor violence incidents last year involved Syrians. Turkish, Moroccan, and Afghan are also common backgrounds. Syrian people’s overrepresentation is due to the inflow of refugees in recent years. Over 150,000 Syrians now live in the Netherlands.

The police have asked the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment whether it should pay more attention to this topic in its integration course. “Newcomers must be made aware that choosing a partner in the Netherlands is an individual’s right,” said Wilfred Janmaat, head of the police’s National Expertise Center for Honor-related Violence. “If this is not happening enough at the moment, more attention needs to be paid to it.”

Previous studies have shown that honor-related violence occurs when women want more freedom of movement or a divorce once they are in the Netherlands. Men also experience a loss of status when they are no longer the breadwinner. War traumas come on top of that, said Janine Janssen, a cultural anthropologist and criminologist affiliated with the police’s expertise center. “Being exposed to war violence can lead to psychological problems, but it can also lower the threshold for committing violence yourself."

Today, two young men will appear in court for the first time for murdering their sister, 18-year-old Syrian girl Ryan Al Najjar from Joure, in a suspected honor killing. Her body was found in the Oostvaardersplassen near Lelystad in May. Ryan’s father is also a suspect, but he fled the country and is believed to be in Syria. He told the Telegraaf that he was “very angry” with his daughter.