The Police's Failed Response to a potential 'Honour Killing'

Posted on tirsdag, juni 26, 2007

In an article of the Times Newspaper dated Thursday, May 3^rd 2007, on the murder trial of Banaz Mahmod, it was reported that a junior police officer, Constable Angela Cornes, was instructed by her senior detective, Detective Inspector Caroline Goode, to omit parts of her statement.  This omission called into question the character of Banaz, a 20 year old Kurdish woman murdered in January of 2006, indicating that Banaz was not facing a real threat of potential violence and that her repeated claims that her father and uncle were trying to kill her for bringing shame on her family, were not well-founded.

From the Court reports it is clear that Ms. Cornes who responded to Banaz’s call for help at a café in Wimbledon, did not believe that her father had attacked her. Instead the police officer decided that Banaz made up this whole story to get her boyfriend to visit her at the hospital where she was being treated for cuts even though she told Ms. Cornes that her father had plied her with brandy and was trying to kill her. In fact the police officer seems more intent on arresting Banaz for breaking a neighbour's window to escape from her father, than taking her allegations of violence seriously. Had the police investigated her allegations further, perhaps she would be alive today.

This incident is a strong reminder, if one was needed, that some police officers are still not properly trained to deal with cultural issues, domestic violence and ‘honour’ killing, particularly where Middle Eastern Kurdish communities are concerned. We feel compelled to ask this question - How many more young Kurdish women and girls must be murdered before the police take the threat of ‘honour’ killing seriously? 

Concerning Ms. Goode, it is appalling how a person in her position can so flagrantly break the law with apparent impunity and at the cost of a young woman’s life. As pointed out by the trial's prosecutor, Victor Temple, QC, Ms. Cornes had exercised poor judgement and displayed ignorance in concluding that Banaz was simply a drunken young woman making false claims.

We all hope that this negligence will not re-occur and that the police force will take women's claims more seriously, contributing the necessary resources needed to combat this kind of violence.   

18/05/2007

Kurdistan Refugee Women’s Organisation

Contac Person Sawsan Salim  Tel:020 7263 1027   E-mail:  sawsansalim@yahoo.com

Middle East Centre for Women’s Rights

Contac person Gona Saed  Tel: 020 7639 1033     E-mail: gona_saed@yahoo.com