Cassation Court upholds eight-year sentence in child molestation case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of molesting a boy in April 2018.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the seven-year-old child in a deserted house on April 16.

The defendant was handed the maximum punishment by the court.

Court papers said the victim was walking in the street when he was spotted by the defendant.

The defendant grabbed the victim from his hand and escorted him to a deserted house, court documents stated.

“The defendant undressed the victim by force and molested him,” according to the court transcripts.

The victim started screaming and was heard by his older brother who happened to be passing by, court papers added.

"The victim's brother engaged in a fight with the defendant then took his brother away," the court stated,

The victim’s family filed a complaint against the defendant, the court added.

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

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.

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

The Court of Cassation was headed by Judge Mahmoud Ebtoush and included judges Majid Azab, Ibrahim Abu Shamma, Hammad Ghzawi and Mohammad Shreiri.