Three Syrian refugees raped a 14-year-old Syrian girl late Monday at the Zaatari camp, Brig. Gen. Wadah Hmoud, director of the Syrian refugee camps administration, said Tuesday.
One of the suspects was arrested and search was under way for the other two, Hmoud told The Jordan Times over the phone.
The girl was sent to the Family Protection Unit at the Zaatari camp, the largest for Syrian refugees in Jordan, and started receiving medical and psychological treatment by experts at the unit, the official added.
“One of the alleged rapists was arrested and referred to the Grand Criminal Court; once the other two are arrested they will also be referred to court,” Hmoud said.
This is not the first rape case reported among Syrian refugees in the Kingdom’s camps, he said.
Since Syrian refugees began seeking humanitarian assistance in Jordan since the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011, there have been 10 cases of sexual assaults reported, of which some included rape and sexual harassment, he said.
“Assailants in all sexual assault cases were Syrian refugees,” Hmoud noted.
Currently, there are two open camps for Syrian refugees in Jordan. In addition to the Zaatari camp in Mafraq Governorate, some 80km northeast of Amman, the Mreijeb Al Fhoud Camp can host up to 6,000 refugees and lies some 70km east of Amman.
Over 580,000 Syrians have sought refuge in the Kingdom since the crisis in their country started in March 2011, about 128,000 of whom live in refugee camps, said Hmoud.
Work is under way to prepare another camp for Syrian refugees in the Azraq area, he noted, adding that the facility will be ready by the end of October.
