In this explorative study, 16 prison clients convicted in Sweden of a crime related to honour-based violence (HBV) were interviewed. The participants gave their own versions of the crimes, their relationships with the victim, and their background and association with honour culture. The participants explained the crimes as driven by emotions and impulses. Almost all refused what may be termed the cultural narrative and label and did not want to be associated with honour culture.
Several characteristics of the perpetrators of relevance for the violent crimes were found, such as a history of normalisation of violence, past antisocial behaviour and a lack of prosocial coping and problem-solving skills. The study contributes to an in-depth and partly nuanced picture of people who have committed HBV in Sweden, which can inform crime prevention in this area.