Alleged rapist and murderer prosecuted for crime committed 25 years ago

AMMAN — Police on Thursday announced the arrest of a man who allegedly raped and murdered a child nearly 25 years ago in Zarqa.

“The case was solved when witnesses were able to identify a man with a previous criminal record from photos after investigators re-opened the case,” Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

Twenty five years ago, a nine-year-old child was found strangled and sexually assaulted in one of the deserted houses in the Hussein neighbourhood of Zarqa, according to a statement by the Public Security Department (PSD).

The police official told The Jordan Times that the witnesses were brought in to view a police lineup from which they were able to pin point the suspect.

The witnesses testified to seeing him “very close to the crime scene in 1991”, according to the police official.

The police official added that, upon questioning, the “suspect confessed to committing the rape and the murder”.

PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi had previously directed all police departments to reopen unsolved murder cases, according to the statement.

A judicial source told The Jordan Times on Thursday that Criminal Court Prosecutor Ahmad Kanani “will start questioning the suspect later in the day to dig for more information the incident”.