The Kampot Provincial Court has decided to drop the case against a British man who was arrested at a guesthouse in Toek Chhou district on Sunday for allegedly raping a British woman the night before, a court official said Tuesday.
Nicholas Laycock, who had been staying at the Arcadia Backpackers guesthouse for the past six months, was arrested on Sunday after provincial police received a complaint from his alleged victim, a 22-year-old tourist.
The woman claimed she was violently raped in her bungalow on Saturday night, pointing to injuries she woke up with after drinking heavily with Mr. Laycock.
But when the owner of the guesthouse showed her security camera footage in which she can be seen entering her bungalow while holding hands with Mr. Laycook—and later tumbling down the stairs as she exited—she withdrew the complaint, according to police, who sent Mr. Laycock to the provincial court anyway.
On Tuesday, Khan Sophal, a deputy prosecutor at the court, said he threw out the case on Monday.
“I agreed to drop the accusation against the British man because the victim withdrew her complaint, and we freed him,” he said.
