Man sentenced to 8 years in prison for sexually assaulting of minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling, which sentenced a man to an increased prison term after convicting him of sexually assaulting a minor in Zarqa in April 2020.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the 17-year-old girl six times and handed him a seven-year prison term.

The court decided to add an additional year in prison term because the defendant was a repeat offender since he was convicted of theft in the past.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim were close relatives and developed a relationship.

“The defendant asked the victim to accompany him to a furnished apartment where the two engaged in sexual activities,” according to the court document.

The apartment was owned by a relative of the man and the girl who alerted the police.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentence against the defendant "because the punishment he received was proper".

The defence lawyer, meanwhile, asked the court to acquit his client because "the court relied on weak evidence".

The defence lawyer argued that "the victim agreed to the sexual acts therefore, they should acquit my client", court papers said.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

It was proven to the court that the defendant willingly confessed to engaging in sexual activities with the minor and therefore deserves the punishment he had received, the higher court ruled.

The SSC added that even if the victim "engaged in sexual activities willingly, under the Jordanian Penal Code she is considered a minor", according to court documents.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Khashashneh, Nayef Samarat and Hayel Amr.