Cassation Court upholds 7-year sentence in minor’s sexual assault case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a May 2023 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to seven years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in Amman in May 2022. 

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting a 13-year-old boy on May 22. 

The court handed the defendant the maximum punishment.

Court papers said the victim went to the building where the defendant resided to run some errands for his father.

“The defendant lured the victim to his house where he sexually molested him,” the court added.

The victim returned to his family’s home and informed them about the sexual encounter with the defendant, court papers added.

The victim's family took their son to the Family Protection Department where they filed a complaint against the defendant, the court stated.

The court said in its ruling that it relied in its conviction on DNA evidence taken from the victim, which matched the defendant.

The defendant contested his verdict through his lawyer claiming he was innocent.

The defendant claimed that the court relied on contradictory investigation procedures.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentence.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

“The defendant confessed to the sexual assault incident when he was arrested and the DNA evidence supports the prosecution’s case,” the higher court ruled.

Therefore, he deserves the punishment he received, the higher court added.

The Court of Cassation was headed by Judge Mahmoud Ebtoush and included judges Rizeq Abul Fool, Fawzy Nahar, Majid Rafaya and Qassem Dughmi.