Court upholds one-year sentence for minor convicted of sexual assault

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a June 2017 Criminal Court ruling sentencing a minor to one year at a juvenile facility for molesting a boy in Zarqa in February 2015.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the nine-year-old child on February 16, and handed him a three-year sentence to be served out at a juvenile correctional and rehabilitation facility.

However, the court decided to immediately reduce the sentence to one year after the victim’s family dropped charges against the defendant, and “because the reduction was in the best interest of the sentenced minor”, according to the court.

Court papers said the victim was walking down the street when the defendant and two other minors, who did not appeal their verdicts, lured him into a deserted building.

 “The defendant and the two other minors took turns sexually assaulting the boy," according to the court transcripts.

The victim remained silent for almost a month, and eventually informed his family after “showing signs of withdrawal”.

“The victim’s mother noticed that her son was afraid to play with other boys in the neighbourhood and upon questioning him, the victim informed her about the sexual assault,” court papers added.

The victim’s family filed a complaint and the defendants were arrested and charged, court documents added.

The defendant had contested the ruling through his lawyer, arguing that there were “errors in the investigation’s procedures”.

However, the higher court rejected the defendant’s argument and ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures when sentencing the defendant and that he deserved the verdict he received. 

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Majed Azab, Yassin Abdullat and Saeed Mugheid.