Outcry in Iran after father beheads girl, 14, with sickle for eloping
- Romina Ashrafi’s death prompts President Hassan Rowhani to urge Cabinet to speed up harsher legislation against so-called honour killings
- Under current law, Reza Ashrafi faces up to 10 years in jail for allegedly killing teen daughter, who had run away with 34-year-old man
The so-called honour killing of a 14-year-old Iranian girl by her father, who reportedly used a farming sickle to behead her as she slept, has prompted a nationwide outcry.
Reza Ashrafi, now in custody, was apparently enraged when he killed his daughter Romina on Thursday after she ran away with 34-year-old Bahamn Khavari in Talesh, some 320km (198 miles) northwest of the capital, Tehran.
In traditional societies in the Middle East, including Iran, blame would typically fall on a runaway girl for purportedly having sullied her family’s honour, rather than on an adult male luring away a child.
Romina was found five days after leaving home and taken to a police station, from where her father brought her back home. The girl reportedly told the police she feared a violent reaction from her father.
On Wednesday, a number of national newspapers featured the story prominently and the social media hashtag #RominaAshrafi reportedly has been used thousands times on social media, with most users condemning the killing.
Proposed legislation against honour killings has apparently shuttled for years among various decision-making bodies in Iran.