Court upholds 4-year prison sentence for molestation

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to four years in prison after convicting him of molesting a man in Amman in early 2020.

The defendant was convicted of taking photos of the victim while naked in early 2020 and handed him the maximum punishment. 

Court papers said the victim wanted to bring a witness to testify against the defendant in a criminal case involving staged car accidents. 

“The defendant asked the victim not to summon any witnesses but the later refused,” according to court transcripts. 

The defendant decided to take revenge and lured the victim to an apartment where he forced him to undress at knifepoint, the court added.

“The defendant took several photos of the victim while totally naked from his mobile,” according to court papers.

The victim managed to wear his underwear and escaped from the apartment where he was able to seek help and report the defendant to the police, the court stated.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling through his lawyer, asking to be declared innocent arguing that the “victim’s testimony was contradictory”.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s general attorney asked the higher court to uphold the verdict against the defendant.

The Court of Cassation ruled that the verdict was correct and the defendant deserved the ruling he had received. 

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Qassem Dughmi and Hammad Ghzawi.