#No more! Nadera's murder STILL concerns us all!

On February 11, 2023, Nadera was killed in front of her children by her ex-husband, with whom she fled to Germany in 2015. Despite seeking protection from state institutions, Civil society organizations and counseling centers lacked adequate protection - also because the institutions for Nadera, and many other migrant and refugee women, are full of hurdles. Now the investigation is about to end, Nadera's ex-husband is on trial and the public prosecutor's office will make a decision. We would like to remind that it was not only the effects of the patriarchy that killed Nadera, but also the lack of help and protection from the state and its institutions.

As the umbrella organization of migrant women's organizations (DaMigra eV), we don't want to give the well-known narratives of relationships, culture and religion a chance. It was murder, femicide. Nadera's femicide was the result of a years-long escalation of domestic violence that has dragged on for years and in which she has not received adequate support. Above all, she could not be protected because a court granted the man access to the children and thus the protection through a ban on contact and proximity was lifted. Here the responsibility clearly lies with the court, which, following patriarchal logic and jurisprudence, placed the rights of the father above the protection of a woman who was already threatened by an ongoing continuum of violence. It was widely known that Nadera's ex-husband was repeatedly violent and dangerous towards her and the children. When Nadera wanted to change her situation in a self-determined manner for herself and her children and sought protection from the state, her ex-husband took away her options and murdered her. His act is, among other things, the result of sexist claims of ownership based on patriarchal role models.

We call on the public prosecutor's office not to fall into common patriarchal argumentation patterns! Without the lifting of the ban on contact and proximity and thus the granting of access to the children, the crime might not have happened. The patriarchal logic, which has already appeared in the case law of the family court, must not be repeated in the preliminary proceedings! Because it is often argued in femicide trials that the act is the result of an “intense emotion”, an “emotional act of relationship” or a “hopelessness”. This argumentation pattern is intended to show that the perpetrator simply saw no other way out than to kill a woman, or that something was apparently taken from him through the separation. The fact that she wanted to separate from him and he didn't want to give her a self-determined life is simply hidden and ignored in this line of argument.

We call on all those involved in the process not to fall into trivializing narratives. Nadera wanted to protect herself and her children from a violent man and was murdered. This violence that Nadera and her children were subjected to, culminating in her murder on February 11, 2023, must have legal consequences. The narrative of a "broken marriage" should not be viewed as mitigating. The situation picture of the Federal Criminal Police Office was only published at the beginning of July 2023, which shows that reported crimes based on the sex of the victim and/or sexual orientation have increased overall. In direct connection with this, the Bundestag decided on June 22, 2023 to expressly include “gender-specific” and “against sexual orientation” motives in the Criminal Code as aggravating punishment. The law will come into force on October 1, 2023 - and this amendment was long overdue.

In this case and in all other cases of gender-specific violence, we demand that patriarchal motives are explicitly named and processed. In addition, preventive measures and the protection of those affected must be the focus of politics. To this end, we call for the unconditional and complete implementation of the Istanbul Convention, which came into force in Germany on February 1, 2018. Among other things, it states that states must take the necessary measures to protect women and girls from violence. States parties undertake to prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women, to prevent discrimination against women and to strengthen women's rights.

Together we fight against inhuman and gender-specific violence in patriarchal relationships and for our self-determination!

Our fight goes on and no woman will be forgotten!

DaMigra eV is the author of this report in cooperation with Haus der Frauen Zwickau eV and other solidarity supporters.

DaMigra eV represents the interests of women migrant organizations and their concerns. She is committed to equal opportunities, equal participation and equality for women with a migration background and refugee experience in Germany. DaMigra follows the approach of anti-racist intersectional feminism.