Man (35) Sets His Ex-Wife (41) on Fire in Helchteren, Belgium

Susa
Age: 41
Attempted Murder: July 3, 2025
Residence: Helchteren, Belgium
Origin: Kosovo
Children: 5
Perpetrator: her ex-husband

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Helchteren, in the east of Belgium near the border with the Netherlands, 41-year-old Susa was doused with gasoline and set on fire by her 35-year-old ex-husband.

The family's five children, aged between 2 and 15, witnessed the entire incident. The older children tried to stop the attack. Susa was transported with severe burns to the burn center in Leuven. She remains in critical condition.

The perpetrator was on prison leave due to overcrowding. The Albanian man from Kosovo had been convicted multiple times for domestic violence. After the attack, he fled the scene and is currently at large.

The traumatized children are receiving support from victim services and have been taken in by family members.

Susa is not the woman’s real name.

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.