Man charged with manslaughter over death of wife in Russeifa

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Sunday charged a man with manslaughter in connection with the alleged assault on his wife a day earlier in Russeifa, official sources said.

The victim was taken to hospital after allegedly being beaten up by her husband, but died the following day, Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“The victim informed investigators before dying that her husband had beaten her, and when we arrested him, he confessed to the incident,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

The body was transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) at Al Bashir Hospital for an autopsy.

NIFM Director Adnan Abbas told The Jordan Times that the “injuries the victim sustained did not lead to her death”.

Abbas added that the victim had a medical history and she suffered from Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF).

“We need an additional week until we receive more medical examinations and lab results before ruling on the cause of the woman’s death,” the forensic expert said. 

FNF is a genetic disorder that causes recurrent episodes of fever that are typically accompanied by pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints. It most often occurs in individuals of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent, and the first episodes typically begin in childhood, according to the American College of Rheumatology’s website.

A senior judicial source told The Jordan Times that Criminal Court Prosecutor Sultan Shakhanbeh charged the suspect with manslaughter, but added that “this charge might change depending on the final report that will be issued by the NIFM”.

The official refused to reveal any further details regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) issued a report on Sunday stating that 20 women have been killed in Jordan since the beginning of the year in gender-related violence incidents.

The institute pointed out that this year’s figures are three times higher than last year’s, with seven cases reported in the Kingdom during the same period.

SIGI called on the government to “increase prison punishments for perpetrators of crimes that target women and children”.

The organisation also called on the government to provide free counselling and guidance programmes for Jordanian families to raise their awareness about gender-based violence and the legal and social services that are available for anyone in need.