Two brothers in Egypt have confessed to the honour killing of their sisters following complaints about their alleged misbehaviour by neighbours, APA has learnt.Local media reports suggest that police investigations are underway after the pair who have not been named admitted to torturing and later strangling to death their two sisters in a bid to ”wash away shame from the family. speaking of the women’s misconduct.

It is not clear how the two women had misbehaved but preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects aged 20 and 34 had lured their married sisters to the family home, where they were subsequently detained and tortured for a week before being strangled to death.

Reports of this double murder come against the backdrop of Egypt’s honour killing tradition informed by a strict belief which condemns women to death for bringing shame to her family for sex outside marriage or going against established customs of prearranged marriages.  

There have been many cases in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East where women are killed by their male relatives including brothers, cousins and father over such ”inappropriate behaviours”.

Although honour killings are seen as a crime in Egypt, their punishment is often less severe than what other murder cases would attract for offenders. 

Egyptian law provides an excuse for honour killing claims which are often juxtaposed with attempts to cleanse a shame and save the dignity of the family of the victim.