AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to over two years in prison after convicting him of molesting a young woman in Amman in November 2019.

 

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the 19-year-old woman while walking into her building on November 14 and handed him a four-year prison term.

 

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to two year and eight months because the victim dropped charges against the defendant.

 

Court papers said the victim was always subjected to verbal abuse by the defendant who lived in her neighbourhood.

 

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the “defendant followed the victim while walking to her building and molested her”.

 

“The victim screamed then headed to her house and locked the door,” according to the court transcripts.

 

The defendant followed her and knocked on the door telling her that he knew she was divorced, and he can pay her money, the court documents stated.

 

“The victim immediately informed her father and they filed a complaint against him,” court papers added. 

 

The Criminal Court general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the sentence.

 

Meanwhile, the defendant had contested the ruling through his lawyer, arguing that “he was innocent, and the victim’s testimony was contradictory”.

 

“The defendant also argued that the prosecution’s office failed to provide any solid evidence against him,” court papers said.

 

However, the higher court rejected the defendant’s argument and ruled that the Criminal Court had followed the proper procedures.