A Syrian refugee based in Germany killed his wife in a horrific honor killing and immediately took to Facebook to proudly announce the murder, Al Arabiya reported.
In a live Facebook stream posted earlier last week, the blood-stained man, who referred to himself as Abu Marwan, confessed to stabbing his wife to death at her home in Mühlacker, Baden-Württemberg, a German town.
He appeared in the footage along with his young son and the two fled the scene after the live stream ended. /The man was arrested by authorities shortly after the escape attempt.
The incident's chilling details are making the rounds online
"This is how you’ll end up"
In their statement on the matter, German officials said the crime was reported to police by the couple's underage daughter who was found in the apartment where the crime happened when emergency services arrived at the scene.
According to Al Arabiya, "German newspapers reported that Abu Marwan has been separated from his wife, who earned custody of their three children".
During initial investigations, the man claimed he had visited his wife on the day of the murder, hoping he'd be able to solve previous marital disputes, but was kicked out.
In a bid to justify his heinous crime, Abu Marwan told authorities that the murder was a message to all women who anger their husbands.
"This is how you’ll end up," he said.
He is now expected to face murder charges under German law, which doesn't reduce sentences for men who commit murders in the name of honor.
Honor killings are prevalent among Middle Eastern immigrant communities in Europe
Honor killings, or crimes committed against women who are "seen as having transgressed social codes of honor", are still a major problem in several Arab countries, including Jordan and Syria.
Given that European countries like Germany and Sweden have seen an influx in the numbers of Middle Eastern refugees seeking asylum in recent years, these countries have also seen a rise in the number of honor crimes committed against women.
Many attribute this to the fact that when female refugees arrive in countries where laws protect their rights, they choose to stand up to abusive husbands or male relatives.
However, unlike in the Middle East, where a man can get a lighter sentence if he confesses to an "honor killing," in Europe that is not even a possibility.