Sulaymaniyah– In the Kurdistan Region, where the cases of femicide and women’s suspicious deaths increase every day. The policy of impunity and the silence of families cause the increase in the cases of femicide. Most press outlets report the femicide cases as “Honor killing”. In May, 17 women were killed or driven to suicide in the region, according to the news compiled by NuJINHA from our Sorani department. 

Çemçemal

On May 2, a man attacked the house of his father-in-law located in the Sengawa neighborhood of Çemçemal town. He killed his wife and three other people in the house. The woman had filed a criminal complaint against her husband and went to her father’s house six months ago.

Zaxo Refugee Camp

On May 5, 62-year-old E.Q.E., a Yazidi woman living in the Zaxo Refugee Camp, was driven to suicide. The reason for her suicide is unknown.

Kirkuk

On May 5, 49-year-old Leyla Salih Mehemed was killed by her 50-year-old husband in the Pence Elî neighborhood of Kirkuk.

Erbil (Hewlêr)

On May 9, 33-year-old Bihar Zekerya Feteh was killed by her husband in the Tecil neighborhood of Hewlêr. The man was arrested.

On May 13, the perpetrator, who attacked and killed a female university student, was arrested. According to the police department in Erbil, the university student filed a criminal complaint against the man on April 19 and her dead body was found on April 21. The police department also announced that the man confessed to killing the young woman.

On May 23, a 14-year-old girl was driven to suicide in Erbil. No statement has been released about the incident yet.

On May 25, the dead body of 63-year-old Temine Eziz was found in her house.

Duhok

On May 10, a 28-old-woman was killed by her husband in the Serhildan neighborhood of Duhok. The man was arrested.

On May 23, a man killed his 30-year-old wife in the Nezrawe village of Duhok.

Pêncewîn

On May 17, the dead body of 14-year-old Hestyan Faruq was found in Pêncewîn.

Zaxo

On May 21, a 42-year-old woman, mother of eight, was killed.

Germiyan

Dead bodies of two women were found in the Kelar town of Germiyan

The places and names of four women, who were killed or driven to suicide in May, haven’t been determined yet.