Man sentenced to 5 years in prison for molesting teenage girl

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an April Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting a teenage girl in Karak in October 2021.

The defendant was convicted of molesting the victim on October 27 and was handed the maximum punishment by the court.

Court papers said the victim and the defendant became friends via mobile.

“The two would constantly talk to each other and the defendant convinced the teenager to accompany him to a deserted house,” according to court transcripts. 

The defendant molested the teenager and then left her in the house, the court added.

The following day, the court maintained, the defendant took the victim back to her family claiming to have “found her wandering in the streets,” according to court papers.

“The victim’s family did not buy his story and immediately notified the police who came to their house and arrested him,” the court stated.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling through his lawyer, asking to be declared innocent arguing that the “victim’s testimony was contradictory”.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s general attorney asked the higher court to uphold the verdict against the defendant.

The Court of Cassation ruled that the verdict was correct and the defendant deserved the ruling he had received. 

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Khashashneh, Nayef Samarat, Qassem Dughmi and Hammad Ghzawi.