Man gets over 10 years in jail for sexually assaulting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to over 10 years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting a minor in June 2019.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the 17-year-old girl in mid-June and handed him an eight-year prison term.

However, the court decided to increase the prison term to 10 years and eight months in prison “because the victim lost her virginity as a result of the sexual assault”.

Court papers said the defendant worked at a carwash station opposite the victim’s house and they established contact as a result.

“The defendant gave the victim a mobile phone and the two started chatting via mobile applications,” court papers said.

A month later, the court maintained, the defendant “informed the victim he planned to marry her and as a result engaged in sexual activities with her”.

However, a resident in the building alerted the victim’s family that an unknown man was visiting their house while they were away.

“The victim’s family reviewed surveillance cameras placed in the building and discovered the sexual assault incident against their daughter,” court papers added.

The victim's family filed a complaint at the Family Protection Department, according to court papers.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentence against the defendant "because the punishment he received was proper".

The defence, meanwhile, asked the court to acquit his client because "the court relied on weak evidence".

The defence also charged that "court relied on contradictory statements by the witnesses", the verdict added.

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

It was proven to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to engaging in sexual activities with the minor and therefore deserves the punishment he had received, the higher court ruled.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Naji Zu'bi, Yassin Abdullat and Nayef Samarat.