Kompong Thom provincial police on Monday arrested a man for the brutal murder of his 2-year-old son, local police officials said yesterday.
Chhoeun Louth, 25, was taken into police custody late Monday at his cottage on a rice farm in Kompong Svay district’s Kompong Kor commune, where he lived with his two sons. He allegedly murdered his 2-year-old, Louth Nan, at about 10 pm that night, said acting commune police chief Khim Khoeun.
Mr Khoeun said Mr Louth came home drunk, and when Nan would not stop crying, the suspect picked him up and swung him by the legs, bashing his head against a dynamo.
“He was drunk and he hear his son crying and at that time he was angry,” said Mr Khoeun. “He smashed his son against the dynamo to break his neck, and he died instantly.”
“He held the two legs and smashed him like a frog. This action was very brutal,” said Mr Khoeun.
Mr Louth’s neighbor and other farm workers witnessed the alleged killing, as the cottage has open walls, Mr Khoeun said, and following the incident they detained Mr Louth and called the police.
Initially, Mr Louth told police that his son had fallen from the cottage, but after police discovered the boy’s hair on the dynamo, he confessed to murdering his son.
Mr Louth’s wife has been working in Malaysia for about a year, Mr Khoeun said, and his other son has been staying with relatives.
Ke Kanchana, Kompong Svay district deputy police chief, said yesterday that, according to neighbors, Mr Louth was habitually violent toward his children. On this occasion, “the neighbors tried to stop him, but he warned them he would hack them with a sword,” he said. The suspect will be sent to the provincial court today, he added.
Kun Sitha, Kompong Thom provincial coordinator for Adhoc, said yesterday this was the first case of domestic violence leading to death in the province this year.