‘Sorcerer’ jailed for drugging, sexually assaulting woman

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman after drugging her in January 2018 in Amman.

The Criminal Court handed the defendant the maximum sentence after convicting him of sexually assaulting the 21-year-old victim on January 14 after slipping sleeping pills into her drink.

Court documents said that prior to the incident, the victim began suffering from mental problems and was told by a friend that "the defendant could cure her because he was a sorcerer". 

A few months before the incident, the court maintained, the victim contacted the defendant and was asked to pay him JD3,000 for his services to assist her and her aunt, and she agreed.

"The victim went to the defendant's office and he showed her photos of nude women and informed her that she must send him nude photos of herself to be cured," court papers said.

The victim sent the defendant 50 photos and a video while nude, but her condition did not improve, according to court documents.

"The victim went to the defendant's office to retrieve the money that she had paid him since her situation had not improved, but he refused and offered her a drink mixed with sleeping pills," the court said.

The defendant assaulted the victim against her will "because she could not resist since he had given her sleeping pills", court papers said, adding that a few days later, the defendant asked her to pay him JD5,000 or "he would spread her nude photos on the Internet".

"The victim filed a complaint against the defendant and he was arrested," the court added.

The Criminal Court's attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling against the defendant, who contested the Criminal Court ruling, asking to be declared innocent because “the prosecution failed to provide any solid evidence to implicate the defendant”.

However, the Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s ruling was within the law, that proceedings were proper and that the sentence given was satisfactory.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Saeed Mugheid and Hammad Ghzawi.