Man sentenced to 20 years for raping teenage girl

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 20 years in prison after the court convicted him of raping his teenage neighbour in Amman in December 2020.

The defendant was convicted of sexually assaulting the 15-year-old victim at his home on December 13, and was handed the maximum punishment. 

Court papers said that the victim went to the defendant’s home to get coffee.

“The defendant told the victim to go to the kitchen to fetch the coffee,” according to the court transcripts. 

When the victim walked into his house, “the defendant forced the victim to a nearby couch and stripped her clothes off,” the court added.

“The victim fought back, but was overpowered by the defendant, who raped her,” the court transcripts said.

The victim left the defendant’s house, but did not inform her family out of shame, according to the court papers.

However, the sexual assault was exposed when the “victim became pregnant and informed her family” ,according to the court documents.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling through his lawyer, arguing that “the sexual incident was consensual”, the court papers stated.

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 received. 

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Fawzi Nahar, Mohammad Shararie and Hayel Amr.