Man jailed for abusing minor

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld an October Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to seven years after convicting him of engaging in consensual sexual activities with a divorced minor in Amman in April 2020.

The Criminal Court handed the defendant a seven-year prison term after convicting him of engaging in sexual activities with a 17-year-old girl.

The court also refused to reduce the prison term because the victim was under 18, according to court transcripts.

Court documents said the defendant and the victim developed a relationship after they met in a shop in downtown Amman.

“The two started communicating via social media and developed a relationship,” court documents maintained.

The defendant then took the victim to his family’s apartment when they were out and “engaged in sexual activities with her”.

The matter was exposed few days later and the victim was referred to the Family Protection Department.

The defendant had contested the Criminal Court ruling claiming that the “victim gave contradictory statements regarding the incident”.

The lawyer also charged that the Criminal Court prosecutor failed to “provide solid evidence to convict my client”.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the seven-year sentence ruling stating that the court had abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s judgement fell within the law, that the proceedings were proper and the sentence given was satisfactory.

“The defendant confessed three times in front of the police, Criminal Court Prosecutor and during court proceedings to the sexual incident. Therefore, he deserves the punishment he had received,” the higher court ruled.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Khashashneh, Ahmad Qatawneh, Hayel Amr and Saeed Mugheid.