22-year-old Laura F. found dead in the Weser: Husband confesses to strangling her

Laura F.
Born: 1999
Strangled: May 30, 2021
Residence: Minden (NRW)
Origin: Victim: Germany; Perpetrator: presumably former Yugoslavia
Children: 2 sons (1 and 2 years old at the time of the crime)
Perpetrator: her husband Sergey F. (42 years old)

In 2016 Laura is about 17 years old and gets into a relationship with Sergej, who is 20 years older. The latter already has a wife and 2 children, but he leaves them for Laura. The couple gets married in 2017 and has 2 boys (born in 2018 and 2020). The contractor buys a house for the family on the outskirts of Minden.

On May 30, 2021, Sergei strangles his wife and dumps her body in the Weser River. He then reports her missing. Later he confesses to the crime and gives clues based on which the body is found in the Weser 4 days after the crime.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.