The criminal statistical report for the year 2020, issued by the Criminal Information Department, showed the occurrence of 90 premeditated murders and nine brutal beatings leading to death.

There were 201 premeditated murderers in 2021, including seven women, which constitutes 3.5 percent of the total perpetrators.

Last year, victims of these crimes amounted to 99, including 22 women, or 22.2 percent of the total number of victims.

According to the report received by Roya, intentional and premeditated murders decreased by 18.2 percent during 2020 (during the pandemic) compared to 2019.

In 2020, 99 people were murdered in the Kingdom through 90 crimes, whereas 110 crimes were committed, killing 115 people in 2019.

A total of three percent of the perpetrators of homicides and 10 percent of the victims were under the age of 18.

The Tadamon (Sisterhood is Global Institute Jordan - SIGI) report published by Roya indicated that 3.48 percent of the perpetrators (seven people) are under 18 years old, and 34.8 percent of them are between the ages of 18-27 years (70 people).

A total of 33.3 percent were between 28-37 years old (67 persons), and 17.4 percent were aged between 38-47 years (35 persons).

There were 22 persons aged 48 years and over, at a rate of 10.9 percent.

As for the victims, the report showed that 10.1 percent of the victims (10 people) were under 18 years old, and 24.2 percent of them were between 18-27 years old (24 people).

A total of 25.3 percent were between 28-37 (25 people), 19.2 percent were between 38-47 years old (19 people), while there were 21 people aged 48 years and over, at 21.2 percent.

Tadamon stated most murders were committed using firearms, at a rate of 36.9 percent (34 crimes).

Other means included the use of sharp tools at 28.3 percent (26 crimes), blunt tools at 10.9 percent (10 crimes), suffocation at 7.6 percent (seven crimes), beating with hands at 3.3 percent (3 crimes), toxic substances, burning, falling and drowning at 2.1 percent (two crimes for each), and use of other tools, abortion, stomping and medicines by 1.09 percent (one crime for each).

A total of three crimes were committed under the pretext of defending “honour” and one crime under the pretext of ‘moral decay’ in 2020.

According to the report, the most prominent motives were personal and past disputes at a rate of 47.8 percent (43 crimes), followed by family disputes at 31.1 percent (28 crimes), quarrels at 7.8 percent (seven crimes), defense of “honour” at 3.3 percent (three crimes), revenge, neglect and lack of perseverance at 2.2 percent (two crimes each), and financial disputes, moral degeneration, drug-induced murder, riots and revenge at 1.1 percent (one crime each).

Tadamon called for legislative amendments to define crimes under the pretext of “honour” or moral decay.

They emphasized the importance of broadening the scope of the laws to include crimes under the pretext of “honor” and other related crimes.

Legislation should define in an extensive way, the so-called crimes under the pretext of “honour” to include the full range of forms of discrimination and violence committed, particularly against women and girls.

Tadamon said legislation should establish separate and specific definitions for the following crimes:

• Perpetration and facilitation of so-called “honour” crimes and aiding or condoning them
• Inciting minors to commit crimes under the pretext of “honour”, and inciting women and girls to commit suicide or to set themselves on fire under the pretext of “honour”
• Crimes committed under the pretext of “honour” which are portrayed as accidents.

Tadamon indicated that many women are pushed to commit murder or suicide, including their constant exposure to violence in all its forms, especially physical and sexual violence.