Four men were sent to provincial courts this week after they were accused of raping under- aged girls in three separate cases, while rights group Adhoc said a high percentage of rapes are committed on children.
Khuon Man, 63, was arrested at his home in Ya Ang commune, in Kompong Speu province’s Thpong district on Jan 14, after he was accused of raping his
4-year-old granddaughter, said Chea Vuth, provincial deputy judicial police chief.
The victim’s parents filed a complaint with police demanding $750 in compensation and strong punishment, Chea Vuth said.
In a separate case of familial rape, Suk Sophal, 44, was arrested on Jan 14 in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kok district after he was accused of repeatedly raping his 14-year-old daughter, police said.
The complaint was made on Jan 10, after the mother witnessed an attack, said Sok Sareth, Boeung Kak II commune deputy police chief. The girl had reported being raped since 2003, but the mother did not believe her, he said.
The municipal court detained the suspect in prison Tuesday.
Separately, a man in Kompong Thom province allegedly raped a 16-year-old and then took her to hospital after she lost consciousness.
Suspect Chea Sopheap, 19, was sent to prison Wednesday after being arrested at his home in Kompong Svay district, said Khiev Sokny, deputy chief of the province’s anti-human trafficking unit.
Rights group Adhoc said recently it found that out of 326 reported rapes cases in 2004, 61 percent were children aged 3 to 18 years-old.
(Additional reporting by Yvonne Lee)
