An initial trial date has been set for a Dutchman charged with crimes including concealing evidence after his Vietnamese boyfriend was seen torturing a boy in videos that emerged last year.
Stefan Struik, a 53-year-old with Cambodian citizenship, was arrested in December after helping his boyfriend, Nguyen Thanh Dung, 34, flee to Vietnam, where he was detained in Ho Chi Minh City, from his Mondolkiri province cacao plantation.
Videos leaked to Facebook that month show Mr. Nguyen torturing the 2-year-old—whose parents worked on the plantation—with an electric rod.
Mondolkiri Provincial Court clerk Lay Lycheng said yesterday that a date of June 6 had been set for Mr. Struik’s trial.
She added that the accused is being held at the provincial prison. Mr. Struik faces charges of “omission to file a complaint against the mistreatment of a minor” and “concealment of evidence,” which together carry a sentence of between one and three years in prison and fines of up to 6 million riel, or about $1,500.
