A rice farmer in Stung Treng province was charged and jailed on Wednesday for luring a 16-year-old waitress away from a beer garden near his home on Monday night and raping her with his friend, who remains at large, officials said.
“The suspect has been charged with rape and sent to the provincial prison,” provincial military police commander Eang Vady said on Wednesday evening, identifying the alleged rapist as Thi Tork, 23.
According to Siem Pang district military police commander Seng Rino, Mr. Tork had been drinking with his uncle at a small beer garden in the district’s Sre Sambor commune and convinced the young waitress to go for a short motorbike ride with him.
“He drove about 1 km away before stopping where his friend was waiting, who then pulled the victim from the motorbike and together with the suspect took her into the forest and raped her,” Mr. Rino said, adding that Mr. Tork was arrested when he returned to the beer garden at about 9 p.m., after leaving the waitress to walk back to the restaurant on her own.
“We arrested the suspect when he returned to collect his uncle,” he said, explaining that the girl’s boss had called military police when she told him what had happened.
He said authorities had also identified the second suspect and were searching for him.
