The High Appeals Court overturned the acquittal of a man accused of sexual harassment of a mentally handicapped minor, sentencing him to one year in jail, after granting the Public Prosecution’s appeal.
The decision came after the court unanimously decided to overturn the acquittal and hold him guilty. Based on the evidence against him, the Public Prosecution charged the convict with sexual harassment of the victim and referred him to the High Criminal Court, which found him innocent.
The Public Prosecution appealed the verdict for factual and legal reasons. The High Appeals Court deliberated on the appeal in the presence of the defendant and his attorney until it decided to accept it and punish him.
The Chief Prosecutor confirmed that the role of the Public Prosecution is not limited to investigating and disposing of criminal cases and bringing them before the courts, but that its legal jurisdiction extends to following up on, studying, and challenging criminal judgments in the interest of the law and the public interest, and for realistic and legal reasons.
