Man stabs his pregnant sister to death in ‘honour killing’
The killing of the 25-year-old woman was the latest incident of "honour killings" a practice not uncommon in traditional, male-dominated Arab societies where women have been killed, mostly by brothers and fathers, for having sex outside marriage, dating, simply talking to men or for being raped.
The investigation showed the woman had married an Egyptian against her family's wishes almost a year ago and had left for Egypt.
"When she returned to Jordan a few days ago to give birth to her child, her brother learned she was in town. He went to her home and killed her," the official said.
The stabbing took place in her kitchen. After the murder, the brother called police and waited for them to arrest him, saying he had stabbed his sister with a kitchen knife.
She was dead when police arrived, and doctors could not save the baby.
A post-mortem showed she was eight months pregnant with a baby boy.
The killing was the fifth reported "honour killing" since the beginning of the year. Seventeen cases were reported in 2003, and 22 in 2002. Many more are believed to go unreported.