TY - JOUR AB - This paper investigates the phenomenon of "honor killings" and other, similar, cases of homicide committed for reasons of honor. A special subcategory of homicide in terms of underlying motivation, honor killings have recently attracted increasing public attention due to some highprofile cases and their portrayal in the media (especially in Germany). Such honor killings have their origins in a particular view of gender roles and the particular way of life that characterizes some small communities, which are shaped by traditionalist and patriarchal values. The paper clarifies the ambiguous concept of honor killing and discusses how it differs from other types of homicide rooted in a similar tradition (such as blood feud). These clarifications are followed by an introduction to the fundamental aspects of the phenomenon, and a discussion of the prevalence of honor killings (which, due to migration flows, has reached global dimensions). Subsequently, I challenge the untenable claim that honor killings are religiously motivated. The second part of the paper focuses on the assessment of such cases of homicide in Austrian criminal law, with special regard to the question of whether honor killings and similar acts should always be subject to Section 75 of the Austrian Criminal Code (murder) or, alternatively, whether Section 76 of the Criminal Code (manslaughter) might be applicable to homicides committed with the aim of restoring individual or family honor. In this context, I rely on rulings issued by the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice to illustrate the handling of homicides committed for reasons of honor in Austrian case law. AU - Zehetgruber, Christoph DO - 10.7396/IE_2014_E ET - 8/2014 KW - Austria honor killing migration criminal code L1 - http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_SIAK/4/2/1/ie2014/files/Zehetgruber_IE_2014.pdf LA - eng IS - International Edition PY - 2014 SN - 1813-3495 SP - 52-61 ST - On the Criminal Prosecution of “Honor Killings” in Austria T2 - SIAK-Journal − Journal for Police Science and Practice TI - On the Criminal Prosecution of “Honor Killings” in Austria UR - http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_SIAK/4/2/1/ie2014/files/Zehetgruber_IE_2014.pdf VL - 4 ID - 472 ER -