Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting daughter

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a September Criminal Court ruling sentencing a father to 25 years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting his daughter in May 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting his 11-year-old daughter in his car on May 21 and handed him a 15-year prison term.

However, the court decided to increase the verdict by 10 years because the “defendant was a repeat sex offender and because he assaulted his own daughter”.

The defendant was convicted of molesting a family member over 100 times in 2011 and was sentenced to seven years, according to court papers.

“Obviously, his presence around his family members constitutes a grave danger to people around him,” the court ruled.

Therefore, the court maintained, “he deserves to remain imprisoned for a long period as a form of deterrence”.

Court papers said the defendant took his daughter for a ride and parked the vehicle in a secluded area.

“The defendant undressed his daughter by force and sexually assaulted her,” according to the court transcripts.

The defendant asked the victim not to inform anyone, court documents said.

However, the victim informed her mother and grandmother about the incident the minute she returned home, according to court documents.

The victim’s mother notified the authorities, and the defendant was arrested, court papers added.

The defendant did not appeal the verdict, and the Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentence.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

“It was clear from DNA evidence that the defendant committed this heinous act and deserves the punishment he received,” the higher court ruled.

The Court of Cassation panel included presiding judge Yassin Abdullat as well as judges Hayel Amr, Majid Azab, Ibrahim Abu Shamma and Nayef Samarat.