http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070125/ap_on_...n_honor_killing

By SHAFIKA MATTAR, Associated Press Writer

AMMAN, Jordan - A Jordanian man fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter whom he suspected of having sex despite a medical exam that proved her chastity, an official said Thursday. The man surrendered to police hours after the killing, saying he had done it for family honor.

A state forensic pathologist, who works at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Amman where an autopsy was performed, said in a phone interview that the girl had run away from home several times for unknown reasons.

Weeks ago, the girl had returned home from a family protection clinic after doctors had vouched for her virginity and the father had signed a pledge not to harm her, the pathologist said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case.

"The tests proved that she was a virgin," the pathologist said. The girl returned home only after her father signed a statement promising not to harm her, he added.

The father shot the girl four times in the head on Tuesday. On Wednesday, an autopsy was performed that again showed "she was still a virgin," the pathologist said.

Authorities have not disclosed the names of the father or the daughter or even their hometown, saying only that they lived in a southern province.

The crime is the first "honor killing" this year in Jordan, where many men consider sex out of wedlock to be an almost indelible stain on a family's reputation. On average, about 20 women in the country are killed by their relatives in such cases each year. Women have been killed for simply dating.

Global human rights organizations have condemned such killings and appealed to King Abdullah II to put an end to them.

In response, the government has abolished a section in the penal code that allowed for "honor" killers to get sentences as lenient as six months in prison. Instead, the government has told judges to consider honor killings on a par with other homicides, which in Jordan are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

But attempts to introduce harsher sentences have been blocked by conservative lawmakers who argue that tougher penalties would lead to promiscuity.

Queen Rania also has called for harsher punishment for such killers.

How any father could do that to his own child is beyond reason... he should be shot..

Kez

I am curious about which "medical exams" were preformed that proved her chastity...

Physical vaginal virginity isn't the only determinant of chastity, yeah? There's plenty of ways to mess around with boys and keep that bit intact.

I'm sure they just checked if her hymen was broken. Sounds like it was not. Surely a broken hymen does not prove non-virginity, but I'm not sure about the other way around.

Times change unfortunately some people dont. IF this is how they have been taught for 100s of years and this is their religious belief how can todays people try to get them to change? Im not saying of course this is right and i believe for sure he needs prision but how do we change the minds of someone that still feels they did the correct thing, the only way they have ever known?

my thoughts exactly. maybe they should get a dental exam

Thats the exacr thing we were discussing in the previous thread. it's not an easy thing to do- to force change. laws can chagne but people are slower coming around.

For me I think its all in changing the law, how laws are enforced and education. Honor killings will comtinue as long as there is a part of society that continues to devalue woman.

check out the book "Forbidden Love"...

I'm suprised people still refer to this book, since it's been proven that the author and the story are fakes.

http://www.webcommentary.com/asp/ShowArtic...amp;date=041124

I think the thing to consider here is that a father shot and killed his daughter, his flesh and blood. No matter what customs are in place and within what religion, we all know that paternal love for a child is generally automatic at birth and carries on through that child's life. This animal murdered his own daughter. Its claptrap to think that he did this because his beliefs and customs were more important than his daughter's life. Any normal father would tell you that whatever their beliefs and however strong, the love they have for their children is stronger. This monster planned the murder of his daughter and pulled the trigger. Lock him up and throw away the key.