Are Family Murders on the Rise in Iran?

Before the murder of Babak Khormdin at the hands of his father and the alleged sexual assault of the victim’s daughter by her father had faded from Iranian news headlines, the killing of two children by their mother created fresh shock in public opinion. In Rasht, a boy also shot his father to death.

Iranian news agencies reported on Thursday, 30 Ordibehesht (May 20), the killing of two young children by their mother in one of the suburbs of Esfarayen city and the murder of a 47-year-old man by his son in Rasht.

According to these reports, the two small children died from carbon monoxide poisoning and passed away in the hospital.

Police in their initial investigation concluded that the mother of these children was responsible for the fatal incident. Apparently, the mother of these children also attempted suicide by ingesting a large amount of opium paste but survived.

News agencies have not published any report on the reason for killing the children, but the phrases “suburban areas” and the use of opium paste for suicide could indicate that poverty was the primary cause of this tragedy.

On the same day, news of a father’s murder by his son in one of Rasht’s neighborhoods was published.

According to news agency reports, a 30-year-old man killed his 47-year-old father by firing three shots from a hunting rifle. According to police, the perpetrator was arrested within 24 hours and confessed to the crime.

News agencies described the reason for this murder as “family disputes.”

Had Akbar Khormdin sexually assaulted his murdered daughter?

Regarding the brutal murder of Babak Khormdin by his parents, more details continue to be released. The father of this filmmaker, in addition to confessing to killing his daughter named “Arzu” and his son-in-law in previous years, also stated that he intended to kill his two other children. It is said that Arzu suffered from multiple sclerosis.

Now one of Arzu’s friends in an interview with news website Rokna said that Arzu was sexually assaulted by her father when she was around eight years old, and her illness was rooted in her painful past. On the other hand, Arzu’s mother was aware of the father’s assault on the daughter and constantly emphasized to the eight-year-old child that she must keep silent and not discuss this matter with anyone.

The Prevalence of Family Murders

Family murders in Iran are not a new phenomenon. The most recent examples that made headlines occurred last month in Esfand.

In one case, a 24-year-old woman killed her mother, her mother’s husband, and her 20-year-old sister with the help of two men, and in another case, in Khani-Abad, Tehran, a 47-year-old man killed his mother and said he intended to freeze her body in a freezer.

The alarm bell for family murders in Iran sounded years ago, but to date, no significant measures have been taken to prevent them.

In cases where a child’s murder by the father has been reported by the media and has aroused public sensitivity, social and judicial experts have called for awareness-raising by responsible authorities and expressed hope that patriarchal laws that have created the conditions for a father to murder his child will be reconsidered.

Now media outlets and experts hope that responsible authorities will take action to prevent family murders from becoming commonplace in Iran.

Etemaad newspaper wrote: “It is hoped that during the investigation of this strange and ambiguous case (the Khormdin family), alongside criminal and judicial officials, psychologists, sociologists, and social pathologists will be present so that they can examine the causes of these incidents in a very precise and thorough manner.”

Source: DW