Honour on ITV

trisha
Absolutely!!! I know that I would have been the same. I also know that given the resources I would have tracked them to the ends of the earth to bring them to court.

? trisher

I find it odd that people think women can't be emotional and determined. The fact that she cried about things didn't mean that the police officer couldn't be dedicated to doing the job. As has been said the real detective was involved in the production so I should imagine she was happy with the depiction. I thought Keeley Hawes did it well and perhaps it was the emotional involvement that drove her on.

You are right about the way that that the police appeared culpable, and missed so many opportunities to keep this girl alive Namsnanny.

Let’s hope many lessons, with regard to listening to women have been learned, from this, and many other cases. I am sure some forces have taken this on board, and women are treated with more dignity, respect and belief, than they were in the past.

Unfortunately it remains a sad fact that many rape cases still result in pitifully few convictions.

I think it must have been pretty close to the real events as Caroline Goode was the advisor to the drama.

Just read your post greeneyedgirl .... more concise than mine

I remember Banaz story well.

The fact that Rahmet Suleman her partner killed himself some time later, played on my mind for some time.
I wasnt sure I could watch this, but i think it was quite brave and must have been difficult to tell the true story without prejudice.
Some ethnic groups were named as perpetrators of this kind of violence by the advocate/representative of the community.
I'm assuming this part of the dramatisation was true?

The police are culpable for failures in connecting the dots and sheer incompetence.
The communities who live by this doctrine are culpable of not valuing women's or girls lives, to the extent they are possessions to use at will.

Programs like this are necessary I think, to get the truth out there to as many people as possible.

I'm glad they included Rahmets story at the end if the program.

I don’t know whether this was a true portrayal or not, but I thought it worked in that it shone a light on the terrible crime and abuse suffered by some women, in this country, under the guise of “honour killings”.

Hopefully, the more publicity these horrific crimes against women are given, the less likely they will be able to be carried out, and indeed hidden, in the future.

I thought Keeley Hawes was excellent, because she showed her humanity, sadness and anger, and doggedness, which helped to bring the perpetrators to justice. I’m not sure how true this was but Id like to think so.

suzie The officer admitted it 'got to them all' (they'd have to be made of stone if it hadn't) but that it made her more determined to bring those responsible to justice.

Thanks for your post Kate. When I’ve read the criticisms on here of KHs ‘emotional’ portrayal of her, I did think that maybe it was accurate and that this was a case that really got to her. I once worked for years in an area that dealt with sometimes unbearably awful events. I can still remember the one case that, when it was all over, made me cry and still does thinking about it. But it was only one case.

In the documentary, the police woman, Caroline, did get emotional when reading out the transcript of the phone call by one of the perpetrators bragging about what he had done to the poor girl. She said that very few people loved Banaz but that the police felt that they loved her.
I believe Banaz was buried in an unmarked grave and a Kurdish women's group, the police and the prosecuting Counsel paid for s headstone. What a dreadful story.

Uncomfortable viewing.

*attempt to address

It was only decades later that it dawned on me what teachers remarks about a couple of girls not returning to school after the holidays were actually talking about. I felt confused by their remarks and decades later this unsettling feeling returned again upon hearing about what some girls go through.

Decades later and the authorities know better but females are still ignored and it is not limited to different cultural backgrounds it's once again the idea some men have of power. A very sad drama but I thought interestingly told in a way not to tell Banaz's story but the police story of their realisation of what happened and their attemot to address their failings.

I agree that Keeley Hawkes’ interpretation was poor. Apart from that it was gripping and very chilling. More typical of ignorant, uneducated people than the actual Kurdish race where their women took up arms and fought against ISIS.

I watched both episodes yesterday....i thought it was very good but i agree with you the DI was far too emotional, the camera was focussing on her facial expressions far too much.

We have just watched both parts of this excellent programme - it made me rage and weep, DH also shed a tear or two. When the guy said that he would be a hero in his homeland for what he'd done to Banaz, my blood ran cold - this is the twenty-first century and this sort of thing is still condoned/encouraged in the name of "culture"!

I have it recorded I thought I would watch it all at once .

I made the mistake of watching the documentary about Banaz which was made in 2012. I wish I hadn't. I can't unhear what they did to that poor girl.

I read that there were at least 12 honour killings a year in UK. I suppose those are the only ones that come to police attention.
A teacher friend told me that they keep a very careful eyes on girls at school who suddenly disappear or don't return from family holidays 'back home.' Chilling.

I enjoyed it if one can enjoy such a sad story. I thought it inappropriate of Keeley Hawes weeping when speaking with Banaz's sister. Yes, it was sad but in her position, she should have risen above it and had a weep in private at home.

Sadly that culture still continues.

I watched both parts of the drama and had an idea it would make for sad viewing . I found it was well made and a true and factual interpretation of how an honour killing happens if
a daughter in one of these families refuses to intermarry with a relative.

It is shocking that Iraqi/Kurdish culture will go to these lengths and call it honouring the family . Banaz many times tried to get herself help and was let down. It is good that the men were finally brought to justice but too late to save her life and even her partner went on to take his own life.
A sad drama lets hope there are lessons that can be learnt from this.

I enjoyed the drama but found it distressing. We are supposed to be a civilised society but the cultural differences and casual cruelty to towards women made for uneasy viewing.

Was poor Banaz considered 'unreliable' because she was 'emotional, hysterical' instead of displaying the old British stiff upper lip when she first complained at the Police Station? The female PC didn't believe her and she must have felt truly desperate.

Just saw the second part. Still unimpressed by Keeley Hawes wimpish portrayal. The real detective must have have had a steely determination to have persevered in the face of such dreadful people and to have extradited those two from Iraq. She must have had extraordinary skills of persuasion too. A worthy winner of the QPM.

Nortsat I agree with most of your post. I think this drama really showed the woman detective ( and her team ) working hard to bring all the men to justice. There was a lot of effort put in to extradite the two men from Iraq which wasn’t of course covered in any detail. It was sad to learn that the fiancé committed suicide. I don’t agree wholly with your comment about it not being culture- it is imo both culture and evil. There have been throughout history cultures that have been intrinsically evil and wicked ( judged by our values) and generally women are frequently the victims. Saying something is cultural doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, just that that is where the behaviour is rooted and taught as acceptable in that society. There are lots of violent crimes that are not imo cultural but rooted in the individual for whatever reason eg the Wests, Sutcliffe etc.