Woman ‘shot dead at wedding for refusing arranged marriage to her cousin’

A Kurdish woman has been shot dead in Germany after refusing an arranged marriage with her cousin, it has been reported.

Images have been posted on Facebook by a man claiming to be the girl’s father and depicting her lying on the ground in a pool of blood, surrounded by distraught wedding guests. In an accompanying message he writes that his 21-year-old daughter was an aspiring engineer who had refused attempts by members of her extended family to agree to a marriage with her cousin.

He writes that: “This murderer would not accept that! They decided to take revenge, to continue the tradition. At 10am on 13 March, she was killed with 3 shots to the head by her own cousin.”

German media outlet, Bild, reports that German police have confirmed that a young woman was shot dead earlier this week and that they are investigating her death as a homicide. They have reportedly recovered the gun which was used as a murder weapon but the murder suspect is allegedly on the run.

Due to stigma and fear about speaking out, it is unknown precisely how many women are intimidated into arranged marriages every year. However, at least 3,500 women seek counselling and support services for the issue every year in Germany.