Jordanian shoots dead sex victim niece in 'honour killing'

Uncle kills niece who lost her virginity in a sexual assault by a young man

Amman: A Jordanian man confessed to killing his 16-year-old niece to save his family's "honour" after she was sexually assaulted, a judicial official said on Saturday.

The 43-year-old fired 30 machine-gun rounds in the direction of the girl on Friday, killing her instantly, at Deir Alla, west of the capital Amman, said the official who requested anonymity.

The man confessed to the murder, saying he did it to "cleanse the family honour" over suspicions of "bad behaviour" after the girl "lost her virginity a month ago in a sexual assault by a young man aged 17," said the same source.

The girl's family later married her off to a cousin "to conceal the facts," the official added, stressing that the suspect in the sexual assault was being tried.

 Prosecutors have charged the uncle with "premeditated murder."

Murder is punishable by death in Jordan but in so-called "honour killings" courts can commute or reduce sentences, particularly if the victim's family asks for leniency.

Between 15 and 20 women are murdered in honour killings each year in the kingdom, despite government efforts to curb such crimes.