Throughout the Islamic world, each year hundreds of women are shot, stabbed, strangled or burned to death by male relatives because they are thought to have "dishonored" their families. They may have lost their virginity, refused an arranged marriage or left an abusive husband. Even if a woman is raped or merely the victim of gossip, she must pay the price. CRIMES OF HONOUR documents the terrible reality of femicide- the belief that a girl’s body is the property of the family, and any suggestion of sexual impropriety must be cleansed with her blood. This absorbing, heart-wrenching film introduces us to some of the women in hiding from their families, as well as a brother who describes his reasons for killing the sister he loved. Also profiled are a handful of women who have committed themselves to the protection of young women in danger of losing their lives. This film explains that honor killings have no basis in Islamic teachings yet are disturbingly on the rise, a tragic statement about the lack of basic human rights still endured by millions of women today.