The murder of Tulay Goren

[a.c.]

You may have seen this in the press:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6883855.ece

A young Turkish girl named Tulay Goren went missing 10 years ago and her father and uncles are accused of her murder. Her mum is appearing for the prosecution, and has said she saw her daughter tied up in the house the night before she went missing.

It is a horrific case, and to me it is very clear that the father and uncles will be found guilty.

I have seen Nazir Afzal, the CPS head of honour crimes cases, in the local area as I work just near Old Bailey. They must be sure this will lead to a conviction.

If these men are convicted, it will be on all the news. I am thinking about making the conviction one of the first MixTogether blog posts.

What I find really sad is that none of the main HBV charities are involved in this case. However, the prosecution seems to be as a result of police reviewing old files with honour killings in mind, so that is a good thing.

[bugbear]

I'm really glad that the wife has come out to give evidence against her husband.  It seems like it has taken her years to pluck up the courage to do that, and it seems like she is directly challenging him from the witness box. 

[secret]

Good idea AC

It will also show how widespread the problem is. After all the family is Turkish, that would not be a nationality I would associate with honor crime.

[saffron]

 It really is a horific case. I feel for the mother too, her agony all these years.

A very clear example of honour crime ? I expect honour agencies are not involved as the police would have strong links with people like Nazir Afzal...and others involved in honour crime investigations.

I heard that a sibling saw her tied up and hands go blue from being tied up? Its horrible to imagine the ordeal she went through...

I wonder what she had done in these mens eyes for them to do what they did? Did she refuse a marriage? was she in a relationship?  These reasons have been given in many of the honour crime stories....for this alone we would understand on MT how much support people out there need to move on in these cases.

[bel]

Tulay was killed because she had "disgraced the family’s name" by running away with a boyfriend twice her age.
The boyfriend was a Muslim, like Tulay, but from different caste.
He was a Sunni Muslim, whereas Tulay was a Alevi Muslim.

Hope do these people justify this type of horrendous behaviour to themselves...it really is beyond belief.

[sephora]

I just find it so horrific that these things happen in ''modern society''. I don't blame the mother but I'm a little suprised how she managed to stay silent for 10 years, it was her daughter after all but I understand it would have been hard to stand up to her husband also. I wish she had said something earlier on so that more evidence would have been available and the father could have been prosecuted then

I'm sorry but what's an Alevi Muslim, Bel.

I hope the father is found guilty and locked away soon.

[chweetgurl]

It was also mentioned mother lost her 2nd daughter to accident 2-3 yrs ago maybe it was her breaking point..but i wud have been gr8 if she had reported it police when tulay was tied up and tortured very sad story...

[Kitush]

I still feel the mother is partly responsible - crime by ommission. She saw. She suspected. She did nothing. She stayed with that man for 10 more years.

The point of being a parent is to protect your child. She did not. She's guilty to a lesser degree to the others but still responsible.

[saffron]

 Yes...Kitush  I think you could be right.... 

[bugbear]

Do you think in a household like that, where the husband evidently ruled with an iron fist, and where women are killed for honour, that the mother would have felt safe or had the strength to report it to the police?  She had other children to protect too.  Its easy to judge when not in the dreadful situation yourself.  Its taken a lot of guts for her to do what she has done now.

[saffron]

Well, that was what I was thinking Bugbear...sometimes their own lives are in threat of ending...

[Kitush]

Yeah I know what you're saying. All good and well to be sitting on the fence looking in and judging. I know . It's just...if I witnessed one of my children going through that, and then disappearing, I'd fear for my other childrens' lives and I'd want to get them out of there. Sometimes it's not possible. Still. I wish she'd spoken up earlier.

You read stories like this, and it breaks your heart because men rule. Wives don't argue even if their daughter or son are killed and theres nothing they can do.

[monome]

This story is on the front page of the bbc website now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8389053.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8311200.stm

[a.c.]

Monome you are a legend, thanks for that.

Should generate some heated debate given the government's decision to cut funding to 'honour' campaign groups.

[a.c.]

Been following this story today, major coverage in the papers http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8419833.stm.

Have blogged about it on MT&Friends, quoting from Jasvinder Sanghera, Diana Nammi and Ann Cryer

http://www.mixtogetherandfriends.org/honour-killings/campaigners-unite-against-multiculturalism-after-tulay-goren-verdict/

Hopefully there will be more comment on the weekend, some features in the supplements?