UK: Missing girl was victim of honour killing and buried in garden, claims mother

A mother broke a ten-year silence to claim her teenage daughter was murdered in an 'honour killing', a court heard yesterday.

Tulay Goren, 15, was allegedly killed by her father and buried in his garden after he learnt she was in a sexual relationship with a man twice her age.

Mehmet Goren, 49, with the help of at least one of his brothers, then allegedly dug up her remains in Woodford Green, East London, and disposed of them a week later. Her body has never been found.

Tulay's mother Hanim lived with the dark family secret and at first misled police because she was scared for her safety, said Jonathan Laidlaw, QC, prosecuting.

Tulay's father and his brothers Ali, 55, and Cuma Goren, 42, both of Walthamstow, East London, yesterday appeared at the Old Bailey accused of the schoolgirl's murder on January 7, 1999, and the attempted murder of her boyfriend Halil Unal, now 41. All three deny both charges.

Tulay was living with Mr Unal and had even tried to marry him, but was too young.

But after losing her virginity Tulay was seen as a 'valueless commodity', the court heard.

Her father and uncles, who came to Britain as political refugees from Turkey in the early 1990s, are alleged to have decided in a 'family council' to kill the pair.

Mr Unal was a Turkish Sunni Muslim but the Gorens were from the Alevi branch of the faith and an Alevi-Sunni relationship 'would not have been tolerated', jurors heard.

Mr Laidlaw said: 'Tulay's father was outraged and was filled with a sense that his reputation and that of his family had been destroyed.'

The court heard how Tulay was taken back to the family home the day before she went missing.

It is alleged Ali Goren told Mr Unal in a phone call: 'Mehmet will either return her to you or he will kill her. Who else would want her after what has happened?'

The next day, part-time fish and chip shop worker Mehmet sent his wife and their other children to his brother's house in Walthamstow.

He allegedly told his eight-year-old son to kiss Tulay goodbye as it would be 'the last time he would see her'.

An artist's impression of (left to right) Ali, Cuma and Tulay's father Mehmet Goren during this week's trial

When his wife returned the next day, Mehmet said Tulay had run away.

Mrs Goren said he claimed a deep cut and scratch marks on his hand were from 'slipping on a banana skin'.

It is alleged Mehmet had worked on the garden, which resembled a 'ploughed field', for the first time since they moved in.

The washing line was missing and Mehmet admitted taking it to capture Tulay, the court heard.

Two kitchen knives were missing, and Mehmet had washed a shirt for the first time in his marriage - the one from the day before, it is claimed.

Mrs Goren alleged Mehmet warned their marriage would be over if she ever mentioned Tulay's name again, telling her: 'Our children are no longer four children. From now on we only have three children.'

A week later Mrs Goren was again sent away. It is claimed that when she returned the next day the back garden looked like it had been dug up again, the patio was soaked with water and bin bags were missing.

A week later, jurors heard, Mehmet attacked Mr Unal with an axe. He was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in August 2000.

Around the time of the axe attack, a handwritten note was found in which Tulay claimed to have been kidnapped by a friend of Mr Unal.

Mr Laidlaw said Tulay was forced to write the note before her death to disrupt the inevitable police investigation.

The hearing continues.

Daily Mail