Syrian refugee Khaled al-Najjar has admitted to the killing of his daughter, Ryan al-Najjar.
Ryan was discovered deceased on May 28 near Knardijk in Lelystad (Netherlands), according to NL Times. Khaled allegedly fled to Turkey after the incident and confessed to family members the whereabouts of Ryan’s body. Khaled’s initial acknowledgment was communicated through a note sent to De Telegraaf, a Dutch media outlet, where he simply stated that he was “very angry with her,” with no further explanation provided.
Individuals familiar with al-Najjar’s family have suggested to De Telegraaf that Ryan’s murder was an “honor killing.”
A source informed De Telegraaf that Khaled had assaulted Ryan due to her relationship with a local Dutch boy and her decision to stop wearing a headscarf.
Syrian refugee ‘murders his “Westernised” daughter, 18, in honour killing and dumps her in a canal after she started dating local Dutch boy and wanted to stop wearing a headscarf’ https://t.co/vkENhuv3Ye pic.twitter.com/5XRoRt0XEh
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 6, 2024
Following a thorough investigation, police apprehended two men connected to Ryan’s demise, per NL Times. Speculation suggests that the motive behind the killing was Khalid’s disapproval of Ryan’s Westernized lifestyle.
According to NL Times, Khaled confessed to having murdered Ryan, disposed of her body in Lelystad, escaped to Germany, and eventually confessed in Turkey.
Initially employed in a shoe factory, Khaled, and his wife Sumaia cared for their nine children back in Syria. Seeking refuge from the Syrian civil war, they relocated to the Netherlands and settled in Joure in 2017, as reported by NL Times.
Neighbors of the al-Najjar family told De Telegraaf that Ryan had expressed fear for her life before her tragic end. Additionally, two neighbors shared that they had provided shelter for Ryan and noticed rope marks on her wrists, as per De Telegraaf.
