Afghan Father Sentenced to Life for Attempted Honor Killing of Daughter in Vienna

The daughter collapsed in front of a doctor’s office, where medical personnel provided immediate aid. A witness reported seeing the father lying on top of her, pounding her with his fists before fleeing the scene.

The father later admitted to police, "Das ist mein Recht. Sie hat einen Freund!" ("It is my right. She has a boyfriend!"). He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with attempted murder.

The Trial and Conflicting Statements

At the trial, the father initially confessed, stating, "Ich bin schuldig" ("I am guilty"). However, he later distanced himself from his confession, claiming he had ingested a substance containing "weißes Pulver" ("white powder") after a dental procedure earlier that day.

"Ich bin ein Muslim, aber ein ganz normaler Muslim," ("I am a Muslim, but a completely normal Muslim") he testified, denying any history of violence toward his children. He described the attack as a "Fehler" ("mistake") and claimed he had lost control due to personal problems.

The daughter initially told police her father had threatened her and her Romanian boyfriend the day before the attack. However, she later recanted, saying she fabricated the statements out of hatred for him.

Cultural Context and Sentencing

The defense attorney, Peter Philipp, described the crime as "unverzeihlich" ("unforgivable") but added, "es ist einfach die Kultur bei ihnen" ("it is simply their culture"). The prosecution dismissed the father’s claims of intoxication as protection strategies, emphasizing his clear intent to kill.

A psychiatric expert testified that the father showed no signs of mental illness, a common finding in honor killing cases. Despite his previously unblemished record and successful integration into Austrian society—described as a "grandiosen Integrationsleistung" ("grand integration achievement")—the court found him guilty.

The father, who fled Afghanistan in 2004 due to war and persecution, faced a possible sentence of 10 to 20 years or life imprisonment. The court ultimately imposed the maximum penalty.