A 27-year-old Kampot province man has been arrested for allegedly brutally murdering his 14-year-old niece, police said Sunday.
Korn Sophois was arrested at his home in Dang Tong district’s La’ang commune Wednesday for allegedly stabbing his niece Gnan Chanthorn to death, said provincial penal police chief Kong Sokhorn. The body of the girl was found the previous day with 11 stab wounds inflicted upon her.
According to the penal police chief, the arrested suspect has confessed to killing the girl.
“He is the victim’s uncle on her father’s side. We arrested him because his bloody shirt was found dumped in a rice field, his neck was bruised and he was the last person with the girl before she was found dead. The man showed us his knife,” Mr Sokhorn said.
He added that the suspect had claimed that the killing stemmed from a verbal dispute he had with the victim the day before but that police have reason to believe that the man had tried to sexually assault his niece.
“He confessed that he killed the girl for revenge, however, the case seems to be a killing as a result of a failed rape,” Mr Sokhorn said.
He added that the suspect was sent to the provincial court on Friday to be charged.
Provincial Prosecutor Tob Chhunheng declined to speak with a reporter about the case on Sunday, saying it was his day off.
