Human rights workers in Kratie province have intervened in the case of a 25-year-old primary school teacher accused of sexually abusing five young female students, two of whom he allegedly raped on multiple occasions.
Ouk Sopy was accused last week by the parents of two 8-year-old students who said they were raped, but Tim Narin, Kratie provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, said Thursday that police had yet to send the complaints to the provincial court.
“We do not know what is behind the delay,” Tim Narin said. “Medical examinations show both victims were raped,” she said. Villagers have also reported that the suspect is still hanging around Kratie town, she added.
Provincial police chief Choung Seang Hak told reporters Wednesday that he had filed complaints with the provincial court Monday. But Thursday, Kratie’s anti-human trafficking police chief, Keo Srey Sey, retracted that report.
“Actually, we have not filed complaints at the court yet,” he said, adding that police were having trouble gathering evidence. “We are now investigating more.”
The father of one of the 8-year-old girls said Thursday that his daughter is currently being assisted by a child protection NGO in Phnom Penh.
Seng Nisith, director of Changvar Kohdach primary school where the teacher allegedly attacked his young pupils, said Thursday that the suspect’s behavior appeared to be normal in the classroom, but neighbors around the school had complained about him.
“Villagers hated him,” he said.