Jordan: Teen attacked with an axe over father’s financial dispute

A Jordanian teenager was attacked with an axe as part of a financial dispute between the perpetrator and the victim’s father yesterday, Roya News reported.

The young boy, identified only as Bahaa, was attacked in his home in Marj Al-Hamam, Amman, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A preliminary investigation explained the perpetrator was seeking Bahaa’s father as part of a financial dispute.

Bahaa’s uncle, Roya News reported, said the father had disappeared four days before the attack and has not been heard from since.

The 16-year-old reportedly explained to the intruder that his father was not home, leading the perpetrator to strike Bahaa with the axe instead.

The teenager then crawled out onto the street, where police officers found him and phoned for medical assistance.

Bahaa was later transported to Al-Bashir Hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition.

The perpetrator, who police say has a criminal record including theft, was apprehended on a farm south of Amman a few hours later.

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The unidentified man has been referred to the public prosecution for further investigation and is likely to face legal action.

The case is the second brutal maiming of a Jordanian teenager in recent months, after another 16-year-old had his hands hacked off and his eyes gouged out in October.

The attack, which took place in Zarqa city, was motivated by the murder of a gang member’s uncle by the victim’s father, Al-Arabiya reported at the time.

The assault was recorded and posted online by one of the attackers, leading to their arrest.

The boy, identified as Saleh Hamdan, was taken to Zarqa government hospital, where his forearms were amputated.

He later received treatment at King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman, at the request of the Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II, before being flown to Germany for expert care in late October.

Saleh has since returned to Jordan and on Tuesday gave evidence against 17 suspects prosecuted for involvement in the crime.

October’s attack sparked widespread outrage on social media, leading several observers to call for the perpetrators to face the death penalty.

Prime Minister Bishar Al-Khasawneh promised attackers would face the severest possible punishment, if found guilty.

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