Police in Babylon arrest three convicted in absentia for 2018 child assault case

BABYLON, Iraq — Police in Babylon province said three suspects sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in 2020 over a 2018 assault on a child have been arrested after years on the run, ending a manhunt of nearly eight years. The Babylon Police Command said the suspects had evaded detection for an extended period before being tracked through technical methods. Investigators identified new phone numbers used by the suspects, reviewed their social media accounts and activity in electronic groups, and matched digital data with field information, according to the command. Two of the suspects were located and apprehended in an operation, and their in absentia sentences were confirmed by the relevant court, police said. Security intelligence on the third suspect then led to his arrest in the same operation, the command added. The third man, who had been wanted for about eight years, was detained under the relevant legal article and referred to the competent court for the confirmation of his in absentia sentence and further legal proceedings, the police command said. No further details were immediately available.