Man handed 5-year prison term for molesting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting a minor with mental disability in Jerash in February 2020.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the 17-year-old boy six times during the month of February and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim lived in the same neighbourhood.

The defendant decided to molest the boy and went to his home.

"The defendant waved a switchblade and forced the victim to undress where he proceeded to sexually assault him,” court papers said.

While in the process of sexually assaulting the child, court transcripts added, “the victim’s brother entered the house and saw them".

The suspect fled from the house and the victim’s brother took his younger brother to the Family Protection Department and filed a complaint, according to court papers.

"The victim informed investigators that he was molested five additional times in previous days," the court stated.

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

The defence also charged that "the court relied on contradictory statements by the victim and his brother and, therefore, they should acquit my client", the court added.

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 confessed willingly to engaging in sexual activities with the minor and deserves the punishment he had received, the higher court ruled.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Hamad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi, Yassin Abdullat and Mohammad Khashashneh.