A Barnstable Superior Court jury has convicted a 73-year-old Concord man of raping a 20-year-old woman inside a Sandwich restaurant in July 2023, and a judge has now sentenced him to a multi-year prison term. Elie Jammal was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery. On the rape conviction, the court imposed 13½ to 15 years in state prison, followed by five years of probation on the indecent assault and battery counts. Jurors heard that the woman was attacked first in a hallway and then again in the women’s restroom while she was out to eat with her family.
What Happened
Prosecutors say the victim left her table to use the restroom on July 9, 2023, and encountered Jammal in a hallway, where he made a suggestive remark, pushed her against a wall, and sexually assaulted her. She managed to get into the women’s restroom, but Jammal followed and assaulted her again, according to trial testimony. A family friend later found her hiding inside a bathroom stall. The victim’s mother and another family friend confronted Jammal outside the restaurant and called police, but he drove away before officers arrived, according to Boston.com.
Indictment and Arrest
A Barnstable County grand jury indicted Jammal in November 2023 on one charge of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery, according to Patch. He was later located and arrested, officials said, per WBSM.
Prosecution and Sentence
The Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office said the case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney Leigh Scalice, chief of child abuse and vulnerable victims, with Victim/Witness Assistant Deborah McCoy helping coordinate the case. According to the office, the judge found that the attack was not driven by intoxication but by what the court called a “shocking sense of entitlement” before imposing the 13½ to 15 year prison term and five years of probation, according to the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office.
Court Reaction and Defense
District Attorney Robert J. Galibois praised the victim for her “strength and courage” in participating in the judicial process and also thanked investigators and staff for their work, local reporting shows. Jammal’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Boston.com.
Aftermath
The Sandwich Police Department led the initial investigation, and the case was tried in Barnstable Superior Court. Local officials say the sentence reflects the seriousness of the offenses and the impact on the victim. Jammal will begin serving his state prison term and may pursue post-trial motions or an appeal, according to local reporting.
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