Five-year jail term upheld for man who molested, robbed four teenage boys

AMMAN —  The Court of Cassation has upheld a June 2015 Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting and robbing four Syrian teenage boys in an Amman neighbourhood in September 2012.

The court declared the defendant guilty of luring the four teenagers to a deserted house with the help of three other men on September 11, where they undressed them and robbed them. The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

However, the court decided to immediately reduce the sentence to half because the victims dropped charges against them.

Court papers said that, on the day of the incident, the defendant was with three other men and they decided to rob the Syrian teenagers.

“They lured them to an apartment claiming that they wanted the young men to help them with some work then they pulled out sharp objects and a gun and asked the boys to undress,” the court said.

The defendants then tied every two together, stole their mobiles and wallets and left, according to the court verdict.
 The three other men who were with the defendant had their verdicts upheld in a different court ruling.

The defendant had contested the Criminal Court ruling arguing that “the prosecutor failed to provide solid evidence to implicate his client in the case”.
However, the Court of Cassation ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were correct and the defendant deserved the punishment he received.
The higher court comprised of judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Majed Azab and Bassem Mubeidin.