‘Assailants of educators, medics to face jail time’

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the mandating reasons for draft amendments to the Penal Code that stiffen penalties against assailants of educators and medical personnel.

The amended law, which was referred to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, stipulates no less than one-year imprisonment for those who assault teachers, faculty members at colleges and universities, nurses and doctors while they are on duty, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni as saying.

The punishment also applies if the educators or healthcare workers are attacked for an action or decision they have taken in their professional capacity.

Talhouni said the amendment was introduced to respect these professionals, voicing readiness to amend any laws that can stop the “shameful” phenomena of assaults against educators, doctors and nurses.

The decision comes after the Council of Ministers directed the ministerial legal committee to study stiffening these penalties in light of recurrent assaults, Petra reported.

On Wednesday, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) reported two new cases of assaults on teachers.

In the Western Badia, a student’s parent reportedly hit a teacher at Musharafeh Secondary School for Boys.

Teachers at the school observed a strike on Wednesday in protest against the attack, a JTA statement said.

In the second incident, a group of young men reportedly barged into the Mazraa Secondary School for Girls in Mafraq and prevented teachers from organising the morning assembly, levelling insults and threats against educators and students.

The teachers had to call the police to intervene, and the assailants escaped, another JTA statement said.

The syndicate condemned the incidents and called for immediate action to curb the phenomenon.

Over 70 assaults have been registered against teachers since the beginning of this year, according to the JTA.