Shamed
  • Published: 20 June 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448133970
  • Imprint: Virgin Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 320

Shamed

The Honour Killing That Shocked Britain – by the Sister Who Fought for Justice

Formats & editions
EBook
20 Jun 2013
Paperback
1 Jul 2013
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The courageous and inspiring story of Sarbjit Kaur Athwal, who bravely fought for justice – risking her own life – after her sister-in-law, Surjit, was murdered in an honour killing by her husband's family.

Foreword by DCI Clive Driscoll.

In 1998, Sarbjit Athwal was called by her husband to attend a family meeting. It looked like just another family gathering. An attractive house in west London, a large dining room, two brothers, their mother, one wife. But the subject they were discussing was anything but ordinary. At the head of the group sat the elderly mother. She stared proudly around, smiling at her children, then raised her hand for silence. ‘It’s decided then,’ the old lady announced. ‘We have to get rid of her.’

‘Her’ was Surjit Athwal, Sarbjit’s sister-in-law. Within three weeks of that meeting, Surjit was dead: lured from London to India, drugged, strangled, and her body dumped in the Ravi River, never to be seen again.

After the killing, risking her own life, Sarbjit fought secretly for justice for nine long, scared years. Eventually, with immense bravery, she became the first person within a murderer’s family ever to go into open court in an honour killing trial as the Prosecution’s key witness, and the first to waive her anonymity in such a trial. As a result of her testimony, the trial led to the first successful prosecution of an honour killing without the body ever being found.

But her story doesn’t end there. Since the trial, her life has been threatened; her own husband arrested after an allegation of intimidation. Shamed is a story of fear and of horror – but also of immense courage, and a woman who risked everything to see that justice was done.
  • Published: 20 June 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448133970
  • Imprint: Virgin Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 320
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About the author

Sarbjit Kaur Athwal

Sarbjit Athwal is a British Indian, whose sister-in-law Surjit was the victim of a forced marriage and honour killing. Sarbjit secretly and bravely campaigned for justice for Surjit, seeking murder convictions for her husband’s mother and brother. They were jailed but Sarbjit continues to receive death threats and ostracisation by the Sikh community in Britain. She has now become a police community support officer, in gratitude for the staunch support of Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll.

portrait photo of Sarbjit Kaur Athwal

Praise for Shamed

A horrific story of appalling murder and awesome courage.

Daily Mail

I felt moved by this book as the experiences resonate with many of the victims that we deal with every day. It also highlights how honour systems within family and community dynamics can paralyse someone into a place of great fear. It takes a great amount of courage to speak out. Sarbjit has been significant to enabling others to peer into the life of a family that put honour before a life. My hope is that this story will encourage many not to be silent but to come forward and speak out. As a campaigner in this field I give credit to this story that seeks to break the silences of many.

Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, Chief Executive of Karma Nirvana and bestselling author of SHAME and DAUGHTERS OF SHAME

I felt moved by this book as the experiences resonate with many of the victims that we deal with every day. It also highlights how honour systems within family and community dynamics can paralyse someone into a place of great fear. It takes a great amount of courage to speak out. Sarbjit has been significant to enabling others to peer into the life of a family that put honour before a life. My hope is that this story will encourage many not to be silent but to come forward and speak out. As a campaigner in this field I give credit to this story that seeks to break the silences of many.

Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, Chief Executive of Karma Nirvana and bestselling author of SHAME and DAUGHTERS OF SHAME

A horrific story of appalling murder and awesome courage.

Daily Mail

As this book and Surjit’s murder illustrates, the burden of carrying the honour of the family falls only on the shoulders of the women. The courage it takes to make your own choices can never be exaggerated. Time is no barrier to justice being delivered, the pain does not lessen with the years. It takes one brave soul to say "this is wrong" and then many lives to put it right. How many other unmarked graves are there of women who said no?

Nazir Afzal OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS