Maximum prison sentence for honor killing is 24 months
Headline: “The phenomenon of murdering women – disregard for the law and reinforcement of traditions with no basis in religious law”
“Director of the Unit for Women’s Affairs at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Muna Al-Shawa, said that the Center is concerned about the recurring crime of murder of women in the Palestinian territories for so-called ‘family honor.’ This is a result of the immunity given to the criminal because of light sentences, such that the maximum sentence does not exceed three years [in jail] shortened [for good behavior], meaning, nearly 24 months…
Al-Shawa emphasized that according to the statistics of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 13 cases of honor-killings took place last year. The victims included 9 women, a boy, and 3 men. Three of these crimes were carried out in the West Bank and the rest in Gaza. She stated that since the beginning of this year, only two instances have been recorded….
It is well-known that instances of murder of women are not a new phenomenon, but have been going on for many years. Several studies have been carried out on this issue, including special research carried out by the Project for the Support and Training of Women, as part of the Mental Health program in Gaza, in 2005… This research noted that all instances of murder for so-called family honor involve women [as victims], and do not involve men. Similarly, it turns out that instances of murder were carried out for various criminal reasons, but were attributed to family honor, so that the criminal would escape sentencing and would benefit from the extenuating circumstances awarded to him by law.”
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“Director of the Unit for Women’s Affairs at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Muna Al-Shawa, said that the Center is concerned about the recurring crime of murder of women in the Palestinian territories for so-called ‘family honor.’ This is a result of the immunity given to the criminal because of light sentences, such that the maximum sentence does not exceed three years [in jail] shortened [for good behavior], meaning, nearly 24 months…
Al-Shawa emphasized that according to the statistics of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 13 cases of honor-killings took place last year. The victims included 9 women, a boy, and 3 men. Three of these crimes were carried out in the West Bank and the rest in Gaza. She stated that since the beginning of this year, only two instances have been recorded….
It is well-known that instances of murder of women are not a new phenomenon, but have been going on for many years. Several studies have been carried out on this issue, including special research carried out by the Project for the Support and Training of Women, as part of the Mental Health program in Gaza, in 2005… This research noted that all instances of murder for so-called family honor involve women [as victims], and do not involve men. Similarly, it turns out that instances of murder were carried out for various criminal reasons, but were attributed to family honor, so that the criminal would escape sentencing and would benefit from the extenuating circumstances awarded to him by law.”
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