Man sentenced to five years for molesting 14-year-old

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a February Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting a minor in August 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting a14-year-old girl on August 9 and handed him the maximum punishment.

Court papers said the defendant met the victim via Facebook and they started meeting on a regular basis.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the victim and the defendant met at a furnished apartment where “he molested her”.

Meanwhile, the victim’s family reported her absence from her family’s home to police, according to court documents.

“The victim’s family called her to check on her whereabouts and when they discovered that she was with the defendant they immediately notified the Family Protection Department that is affiliated to the Public Security Department,” the court added.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling charging that there were inconsistencies in the victim’s testimonies during the trial.

However, the higher court ruled that the “victim’s testimonies were consistent and the sexual assault offence did, indeed, occur against the child”.

“The Criminal Court followed the proper proceedings when sentencing the defendant deserves the verdict he received,” the higher court ruled 

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Hamad Ghzawi and Majid Azab.