When you hear the words ‘honour killing’ you think of some place far away. A different time. A culture that is backward and violent and hateful.
You don’t think of a 19-year-old girl in southwest London found dead in a £1.5 million (AUD2.5 million) home last Wednesday.
But today, tributes are flooding in for Celine Dookhran, 19, of Kingston who was allegedly raped and killed last week, in what is believed to be an ‘honour killing’.
The teenager was of Indian Muslim heritage and police allege she was murdered by a 33-year-old man known to the family, Mujahid Arshid, for being in a relationship with an Arab Muslim.
"The deceased was involved in a relationship with an Arab Muslim and the family members didn’t approve of this relationship because they are Indian Muslims," prosecutor Binita Roscoe told the court on Monday, Metro reports.
Dookhran's body was found after a second woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, alerted police. The second woman, who was also kidnapped and raped, was reportedly receiving treatment for knife wounds in a south London hospital when she informed authorities.
Metro reports police discovered Dookhran's body with her throat slit at home in southwest London. They arrested Arshid soon after, as well as another man, Vincent Tappu, 28, who has been charged for his alleged involvement in helping kidnap the women.
Dookhran was born in the London suburb of Wandsworth, BBC reports. She was passionate about cosmetics, and often shared makeup tips with her social media followers.
As tributes flow, people from all communities have been quick to point out: Honour killings are a cultural issue, not a religious one.
The two men have been remanded in custody, and both defendants will appear in court on August 21.
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