The first appeal hearing of the sensational murder...

The first appeal hearing of the sensational murder case of six-year old Amna Al-Khaldi will begin shortly, according to judicial sources.
"A court hearing will be announced before the end of this month," said the sources.
Three young men and a woman are convicted of the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of Amna. According to investigation reports, the victim was stabbed repeatedly and an attempt was made to sever her head from her body, in the most brutal crime reported in the recent history of the country.
If convicted at the appeals court, the four may face public execution, in accordance with Islamic Shariah. Only a pardon, or the acceptance of blood money by the surviving members of the victim's family could spare their lives from execution.
The public prosecution is understood to have presented a fail-safe case where the forensic evidence directly links the suspects with the slaying. Moreover, the suspects have made an outright confession of their involvement in the crime.
Nevertheless, the sources did not expect a speedy trial, as some of the defendants are yet to find a lawyer to represent them.
"A panel from the Kuwait Lawyers Society were asked to represent the defendants before the court, but so it is still unclear who will defend the suspects", added the sources.
The mutilated body of the six-year-old victim was found dumped in the desert, two days after she was reported missing by her parents. Initially, security forces rounded up a large number of suspects before investigation pointed towards a failed love affair between Latifa, the fourth suspect and Amna's brother as the motive behind the vicious homicide.