Teenager reportedly burnt by her father remains in critical condition

AMMAN — A 13-year-old girl who was reportedly burnt by her father on Saturday, remained in critical condition in hospital, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Issam Haddidi had sent a note to the hospital to check on the teenager's condition but was notified "that she was in critical condition and cannot talk", the judicial source said.

"Haddidi is still waiting for the girl to recover to question her, although burns on 75 per cent of her body will most probably lead to blood poisoning, which means her chances of survival are slim," the source explained.

The teenager's 46-year-old father, a security guard, was charged attempted murder after he allegedly set her ablaze at their home in Jabal Qusour on December 13.

The suspect ran away from the house and was later arrested by the police, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times on the day of the incident.

In his initial testimony in front of Criminal Court Prosecutor Salah Taleb, who was on duty on the day of the murder, the suspect said he had no intention of murdering his daughter.

The suspect claimed that his daughter went missing from home for a few hours and when she returned he reportedly slapped her on the face to discipline her and she fell on the kerosene heater and her body caught fire.

The suspect claimed that he wrapped her in a blanket in an attempt to extinguish the fire and that his brothers, who lived in the same building, rushed to help him.

 However, a senior official source told The Jordan Times that the girl told police in hospital before her condition deteriorated that “her father set her ablaze”.

The judicial source said the suspect informed investigators that he was tried and acquitted at the Criminal Court in 2008 on charges of burning and killing another daughter.

"Haddidi has sent a memo to the Criminal Court to review the old verdict and if it was the same method as this incident, he will include it as evidence so that the court can issue a stiff sentence against him," the judicial source said.

The security guard had divorced his wife and the only other resident in their house is his 16-year-old son, who was not at home when the incident occurred.