Honour crimes are “sordid criminal behaviour”: UK judge
A British judge went out of his way to denounce “honour” crimes in a case involving three children of Pakistani descent being cared for by a non-Muslim family. The children’s mother is in prison for setting her sister-in-law’s house on fire in a dispute involving alleged violations of family honour. The father was refused care of the children but went to court to argue against placing them with a white, non-Muslim family.
Lord Justice Wall denied the request and went on from there.
The judge dismissed evidence from a Muslim scholar who argued that continued placement would exacerbate the physical risk to the children by increasing the shame wrought on the family. He said that despite flaws in the care proceedings, placing the children with the non-Muslim family had given correct priority to the physical safety of the children.
The judge went further, however, stating that “the time has surely come to rethink the phrase ‘honour killings’”. He described it as a “wholly inappropriate oxymoron”. He added: “In this case, the family may wish to reflect on the fact that it has lost five of its children: one by death, one by the legitimate flight from gender-based violence inflicted on his mother, and three to the care system.”
[...] ‘HONOUR KILLINGS’ a sordid crime, says UK Judge …. [...]