An alleged triple rapist had his penis chopped off and was beaten to death with sticks and rocks after an angry mob plucked him from police custody in Battambang province.
Rin Bros, 23, died Saturday after a 500-strong mob raided the district police offices in the Sampov Loun district of Battambang province where he was being held following his arrest for allegedly raping two local women and a girl Aug 13.
The mutilation and beating was the latest incident in what has become a chronic problem in Cambodia, with suspected criminals being taken or released from police custody and killed by mobs several times a month.
Por Vannak, military police commander for Battambang province, said district police were unable to protect the suspect, who allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl, her mother, 47, and a 27-year old aunt. The dead man also allegedly demanded approximately $250 from the victims, Por Vannak said, adding that the women paid more than half the amount before their attacker left.
“It is a very barbarous act that he raped all three women in a poor family,” Por Vannak said.
He confirmed that the mob chopped off Rin Bros’ penis before killing him.
The group that stormed the police station was too strong for authorities to repel, he said. “District police could not withstand the mob,” he said.
The area around Sampov Loun district is a former Khmer Rouge zone, and the people are accustomed to dealing with criminals harshly, Por Vannak said.
Thun Saray, director of the human group Adhoc, in part attributes the trend of mob killings to people’s mistrust of a system they believe does not protect them.
The killing of Rin Bros may also have been motivated by concerns the courts would not prosecute rape charges as a serious crime. According to women’s rights workers, Cambodian courts do not treat rape cases with enough gravity.
In many instances, court officials persuade victims to accept compensation rather than see an alleged rapist prosecuted, said Chanthol Oung, director of the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center.
(Additional reporting by Kevin Doyle)
