Man allegedly stabs wife during domestic dispute

AMMAN — Officials on Sunday said they were questioning a husband who reportedly stabbed his wife in the hand and foot following a domestic dispute in an eastern Amman suburb a day earlier.

“We have arrested the suspect and are currently questioning him to learn more about the incident,” Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

The police official told The Jordan Times that the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and that her condition is stable.

Meanwhile, Jerash MP Wafa Bani Mustafa on Sunday collected the signatures of 16 deputies to call for reconsidering several clauses in the 2017 Domestic Violence Prevention Law (DVPL).

She said that a number clauses in the law “are not clear or do not protect victims of domestic violence as they should, and there is an urgent need for the government to make the necessary amendments to these clauses to stiffen the punishments and protect victims from the perpetrators in the right manner”.

Another important request is to cancel a clause that allows the victim’s family to drop charges against perpetrators and this “applies in cases of domestic violence”, she said.

“This is not a fair procedure, since perpetrators of certain offences could benefit from a reduction in penalty and return back to their families where they once practiced some form of violence against family members,” Bani Mustafa explained.

“My request will be sent to the Legal Committee of the Lower House of Parliament and if they agree to our demands, the government will be obliged to review the DVPL and consider our demands,” Bani Mustafa told The Jordan Times.   

Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) issued a statement on Sunday asserting that violence against women and children in Jordan is a problem that requires immediate action. 

“Women and sometimes men are subjected to all forms of violence in society, but males usually have better alternatives to escape any form of violence they are subjected to,” the SIGI statement said.

On the other hand, the statement added, women have fewer options and means to escape any form of violence, which “puts their lives in grave danger”.

“If there was one man or one woman whose rights were violated by an act of violence, this is a major issue that needs to be addressed and handled well by the concerned authorities and government entities,” the statement said.

The statement noted that the number of female homicides committed by a family member has increased by 200 per cent since the beginning of the year in comparison with last year.

“There were seven murders in the first 10 months of 2018. This year, the number of female victims is 21,” the statement said.

There is an urgent need to “admit that the phenomenon of domestic violence is on the rise in Jordan and that the government needs to take serious steps to address the problem and find the best means of protecting its citizens”, according to the statement.