A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his 15-year-old daughter in an honour killing that took place a decade ago. Mehmet Goren was given a minimum term of 22 years at the Old Bailey for killing Tulay Goren in January 1999 after she ran away to live with her boyfriend, a fellow Turkish Kurd from a different Islamic sect.
Tulay's remains have never been found, making this one of only a handful of murder convictions secured without a body. The prosecution alleged that Mehmet's brothers, Ali and Cuma, assisted in the murder following a family council decision that both Tulay and her lover must die. However, the jury cleared the brothers of any involvement.
Tulay's mother, Hanim, whose testimony was crucial to the prosecution, has been living in fear of reprisals and did not attend court for the rest of the trial. Additional security measures have been installed at her home and that of her surviving daughter, Nuray, who also testified. Nuray praised her mother's courage and asked her father to reveal where Tulay's body is buried.
Sentencing Mehmet, Mr Justice Bean described him as having a 'violent and dominating personality' and noted the careful planning of the murder. The judge highlighted the aggravating features of the case, including the victim's age and the abuse of trust, comparing it to racially or religiously aggravated killings.
Police believe there are around 12 honour killings per year in Britain, with a quarter of victims under 18. Following public criticism of failings in the case of Banaz Mahmod, new measures have been introduced to protect victims and prosecute perpetrators, including specialist training for police and prosecutors.
