Amman,Jordan: Woman hanged twice

New.Com. AU ^ | March 2, 2004 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Jordanian woman hanged twice

From correspondents in Amman
March 2, 2004

A JORDANIAN woman convicted of murdering two children was hanged twice today after the rope broke the first time because of her weight, police officials said.

I'tisam Hussein, 21, fell to the ground when the rope broke but did not fracture any bones, said one of the officials who attended the execution.

She was frightened and in pain, but was not given any sedatives, he said, on condition of anonymity.

The rope was changed and she was hanged within the hour, after a delay as prison wardens tried to calm her down.

Today's hanging took place in Swaqa Penitentiary, 100 km south of the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Hussein was found guilty in December 2002 of drowning two children in a canal near the biblical Jordan River. She was convicted of premeditated murder for the January 2002 murders and sentenced to death by hanging.

Court records showed Hussein was seeking vengeance against her fiance's family, who opposed their marriage. She coaxed her fiance's sister and brother -- aged 5 and 6 respectively - to the canal, where she drowned them.

It was the second strange hanging incident in Jordan since 1997, when the head of another woman convict split from her body during execution.

The Associated Press

[thoughtomator]

The ol' head-separating-from-the-body-during-the-hanging gag, gotta love it.

[JRandomFreeper]

The rope was changed and she was hanged within the hour, after a delay as prison wardens tried to calm her down.

Ummm. You can bet that most rational humans WOULD NOT be calm.

/john

[Consort]

Use good quality rope. ...Comes in sisal, hemp, coir, manila, nylon, rayon, jute, ramie, cotton, polypropylene.....twisted or braided....cable or lang layed....choice of colors.....7 to 13 turns/coils for the noose.

[lelio]

after the rope broke the first time because of her weight

I sense a new Jenny Craig angle. "Come on, be a big loser. You don't want to be hanged twice, do you?"

[Spok]

It sounds like she passed her trial by ordeal-she might have been innocent!

[FourPeas]

as prison wardens tried to calm her down

This is bizzare. I can hear the wardens now, "Calm down, we tried to hang you, but the rope broke. It'll only be a few minutes and we'll try again. Please be calm, this is hard for all of us."

[Verginius Rufus]

The English tradition, I believe, was that if the rope broke the authorities could not try again with another rope. That's supposed to be behind the wording in the Fifth Amendment about not being twice put in jeopardy of life or limb (the "double jeopardy" clause). Of course they could say the second attempt here was for the second murder. Jordan was under British control for about 25 years (1921-1946) but they may not have adopted any British laws.

[TheDon]

Hussein was found guilty in December 2002 of drowning two children in a canal near the biblical Jordan River. She was convicted of premeditated murder for the January 2002 murders and sentenced to death by hanging.

I see justice is a bit more swift in Jordan.

[lawdude]

Mixed emotions, here!

[hosepipe]

Its a mystery to me that women in Islamic countrys don't go rabid ass crazy more often..