Two district police officers suspected in the rape of a 15-year-old Kompong Thom province girl are on the run, police and local rights group Adhoc said Thursday.
Officer Phal Chamroeun, 34, has been accused of grabbing the girl as she was walking to watch television at a neighbor’s house in Prasat Sambor district’s Chhouk commune at around 8 pm on Aug 28, said Nguon Solina, Adhoc provincial women’s unit coordinator.
“Phal Chamroeun attempted to rape the victim,” she said Thursday, but the two struggled and the girl was able to break free.
About five minutes later, Officer Chuob Chhorn, 32, dragged the girl into the brush by the side of the road where he raped her, Nguon Solina said.
The victim’s mother had trouble getting her daughter to tell her what had happened, Nguon Solina said, but she eventually learned of the rape about 10 days after it occurred and reported it to the village chief.
Adhoc sent a formal complaint to the district police Wednesday, she added.
District police chief Ouch Sam Art said that he received the complaint and is investigating the matter.
He confirmed that the two officers have since fled.
“We do not know why the victim’s family has only just filed the complaint,” he said.
Kompong Thom provincial police chief Chea Sam declined to comment.
Nguon Solina said the victim’s mother has requested $1,000 from the two suspects in compensation for the attack on her daughter.
She added that the family of one of the officers, Chuob Chhorn, has already provided her with about $188.
Despite receiving that payment, the victim’s mother has said she will not withdraw the complaint, Nguon Solina said.
