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UK: Police "let down" honour killing victim, Banaz Mahmod
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UK: Police "let down" honour killing
victim, Banaz Mahmod
2.4.2008 |
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April
2, 2008
LONDON, UK, -- Two British police forces
failed a young Kurdish woman who was tortured, raped
and murdered in a "barbaric and callous" honour
killing, the police watchdog concluded on Wednesday.
West Midlands Police and Scotland Yard
investigations let down Banaz Mahmod after not
taking seriously death threats against her, the
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
said.
The 20-year-old was raped and garrotted during an
ordeal lasting more than 2-1/2 hours at her family
home in south London last year for falling in love
with the wrong man.
Her body was later found in a suitcase beneath a
house in Birmingham. Members of her family and
several family friends had plotted her murder. |
Banaz Mahmod Babakir Agha, Found dead, brutally
killed by her family. Banaz had left her husband and
fall in love with an Iranian Kurd. |
Her father Mahmod Mahmod, 52, and her uncle Ari
Mahmod, 51, were jailed for life at the Old Bailey
last July after being found guilty of murder.
A third man, Mohamad Hama, 31, pleaded guilty to
murder and will spend at least 17 years in jail.
Banaz had told police four times she feared for her
life after falling in love with a man of whom her
family disapproved, but her claims were not taken
seriously, the court heard.
The IPCC criticised the forces for this fact. It
also said the flawed investigations were plagued by
delays, poor supervision and a "lack of
understanding and insensitivity".
The IPCC investigation also criticised seven
Metropolitan police officers with two -- a constable
and an inspector, whom the watchdog did not name --
now facing disciplinary action.
Police sources told Reuters the constable was in
line for a promotion but that was now on hold until
the end of the disciplinary action, which could
result in her being sacked.
Three West Midlands officers are also criticised in
the IPCC report and will receive written warnings.
The IPCC recommended the forces review their
internal policies,www.ekurd.net
particularly relating to
sexual offences and retrain officers to better
handle domestic and honour-based violence.
IPCC Commissioner Nicole Williams said in a
statement the death was tragic.
"Banaz Mahmod was a young woman who lost her life in
terrible circumstances," she said. "It is clear that
the police response was at best mixed."
The court had heard how Banaz angered her family
after walking out of an abusive arranged marriage
which she entered aged 17.
She later fell in love with an Iranian Kurd, Rahmat
Suleimani, 28, meeting him in secret and swapping
messages several times a day.
Both forces declined to comment ahead of any
disciplinary hearings.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, Reuters
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