Cassation Court upholds 8-year sentence for sexually assaulting a child

AMMAN — Court of Cassation has upheld a December 2021 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting a child in Aqaba in January 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of luring the 11-year-old victim, who is his neighbour, to a storage room where he sexually assaulted him on January 31.

The defendant was given the maximum sentence by the court.

Court papers said the victim was leaving the building where he resided when he met the defendant at the entrance of the building. “The defendant asked the victim to help him move a tree to a storage room in the building.”

The victim “had no idea of the evil intentions of his neighbour. He agreed and helped him move the tree to the storage area”, according to court papers. Once the two were inside the building, the court added, “The defendant asked the boy to undress where he sexually assaulted him.”

“The child was shocked from the incident and ran out of the room and immediately alerted his family,” the court papers maintained. The victim’s family headed to a nearby police station and filed a complaint against the defendant.

The defendant did not contest his verdict. 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 Court of Cassation comprised of Judge Mohammad Ibrahim and included judges Majid Azab, Hayel Amr, Fawzi Nahar and Ibrahim Abu Shamma.