Honour killing of Sadia Sheikh

The honour killing of Sadia Sheikh occurred on October 22, 2007, when a 20-year-old Belgian woman of Pakistani heritage was fatally shot by her brother. Sheikh had left her family home after her parents pressured her to marry a cousin she had never met, later moving in with a Belgian man, but had visited to try to make peace. Her brother confessed to the murder in a 2011 trial, claiming he had acted alone, but a jury pronounced all four members of the family guilty of the murder and sentenced each to prison. The case has been called Belgium's first honour killing trial.

Background

Born in Pakistan in 1949, Sheikh's father Tarik Mahmood Sheikh was himself wed by arranged marriage to her mother, Zahida Parveen Sariya.[1] When Sheikh's parents, who owned businesses in both Belgium and Pakistan, attempted to force her to accept an arranged marriage to a cousin she had never met in Pakistan, she instead left home to study law.[1][2] She felt threatened to the point that she drew up a will at a center for victims of domestic violence. Soon after, she moved in with Jean, a Belgian man her age.[3] While unwilling to comply with her family's demands, she had not surrendered the hope of reconciliation. On 22 October, then in her final year of law school,[4] she visited her family in hopes of mending the rift, but instead she was shot three times.[3] In the shooting, her sister Sariya Sheikh was also wounded by a bullet in the arm.[5]

Trial

On November 21, 2011, Sheikh's family—including her parents, brother Mudusar and sister Sariya—stood trial for her death. Sheikh's brother was accused of the shooting, while the rest of the family was accused of aiding and abetting the murder and "attempting to arrange a marriage."[2] Prosecutors sought 20 – 30 years for Sariya Sheikh, who they claimed held Sheikh while she was shot, and life imprisonment for the rest of her family.[4][6]

During the trial, Mudusar Sheikh confessed to the crime, also claiming that he attempted to kill his sister Sariya.[3] Other members of the family also claimed that Mudusar Sheikh was solely responsible for the murder. According to them, he acted in rage, but Mudusar Sheikh himself testified that the act was premeditated.[6] He clarified that "I didn't want to take her (Sadia's) life, but to make her feel as bad as I felt."[7] During the trial, evidence had been presented to suggest that Mudusar Sheikh, himself to marry a cousin in Pakistan, had been very close to his sister Sadia, his closest sibling in age.[1]

On December 9, 2011, the jury found all four family members guilty of the murder, with the aggravating factor that it was an honour killing, and the brother and father guilty of attempting to force an arranged marriage.[8][9] Sentencing was handed down on December 12. The court found that the parents had orchestrated the event, ordering their son to do the shooting.[6] For that reason, although Mudusar Sheikh himself was sentenced to 15 years, Sheikh's mother and father were sentenced to 20 and 25 respectively.[7] The 22-year-old Sariya Sheikh, five months pregnant at the time of sentencing, was given five years, a light sentence due to her youth at the time of the crime.[4][8] In December 2011 Sheikh's parents were reported to be appealing their sentences.[10] Sariya Sheikh also entered an appeal, to preserve the right, but it was reported she may not follow through if her attorneys do not find sufficient grounds.[11]

The case has been called Belgium's first honour killing trial.[7] It has been positioned as a gender equality issue by civil rights groups.[6] During the trial, the courthouse had to be briefly cleared when it received a bomb threat from a person alleging to be part of a Pakistani organization, but the threat proved false.[4]

Commentary

Following the court's verdict, the English-language Pakistani newspaper Dawn commented that Pakistan "would do well to take a leaf out of Belgium's book" given the regularity of reported honour killings in Pakistan and the common lack of punishment. The editorial laments that the "honour-killing debate is still at that mediaeval stage" in their country.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Affaire Sadia Sheikh : le portrait des accusés et de Sadia". RTBF (in French). 25 November 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Pakistani family stand trial for ‘honour killing’". Dawn. AFP. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "'I left you for dead': brother admits shooting sister in 'honour killing' and attempting to kill other sibling". Sydney Morning Herald. AFP. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Tot 25 jaar cel voor moordenaars Sadia Sheikh". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 13 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Ghosh, Palash R. (21 November 2011). "Belgian ‘Honor Killing’ trial places entire family on dock". International Business Times. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Family jailed for honour killing of Sadia". AFP. December 13, 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 "Pakistani family guilty of Belgian honour killing: media". AFP. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Procès Sadia: les parents écopent des peines les plus lourdes". RTL.be (in French). 12 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Procès Sadia: les quatre membres de la famille Sheikh déclarés coupables". RTL.be (in French). 9 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "Ouders van Sadia Sheikh gaan in cassatieberoep". De Standaard (in Dutch). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  11. ↑ "Sariya Sheikh, la sœur de Sadia, ira aussi en cassation mais pas Mudusar". RTBF (in French). 22 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "Crimes of 'honour'". Dawn. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
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