Jordanian 'Kills Wife's Lover, Cuts off Penis'

A Jordanian who confessed to killing his wife's alleged lover cut off the man's penis before putting it in a bag and handing it over to police, a judicial official said on Monday.

The 35-year-old man "lured the victim to a hotel room in downtown Amman, claiming that he wanted to resolve the issue about his wife quietly" on Saturday, the official told Agence France Presse.

The suspect then tied up the alleged lover, sodomised him and slit his throat before cutting off his penis.

"He handed himself in to police on the same day of the murder, which took place on Saturday, and confessed, giving them a bag that had the other man's penis," said the official.

The 27-year-old woman and her alleged lover had been in detention after the suspect, who has a criminal record, sued them for adultery several months ago, he said, adding the two were released recently after a general amnesty.

"The husband was enraged because they were freed and decided to commit the crime. He has been charged with premeditated murder."

Separately, a Jordanian man has been charged with killing his 35-year-old sister when she was released from detention over allegedly having sex outside marriage, the same official said.

"The suspect, in his 40s, was charged on Sunday with premeditated murder after fatally shooting his sister five times in Zarqa," northeast of Amman, the official told AFP.

"She had been in administrative detention since February over a fornication case. Apparently she had (sexual) relations with a man who took advantage of her and pretended he wanted to marry her."

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 such killings each year in the Arab kingdom, despite government efforts to curb such crimes.