A teenager was arrested Sunday for raping an 11-year-old girl who was sleeping alone under her grandparent’s house in Kandal province on Friday night following a Buddhist ceremony, according to police.
Nou Sopheat, 18, attended a birthday ceremony for the girl’s grandfather at the couple’s home in Sa’ang district’s Sa’ang Phnom commune until about midnight and returned about three hours later after the family had gone to sleep, according to Sa’ang district police chief Seng Socheat.
“At about 3 a.m. Saturday morning, while the girl was sleeping on the bed under house, the suspect came to rape her,” he said. “The suspect admitted to raping the minor because there was nobody there at the time.”
Mr. Socheat said the girl recognized the suspect and the parents identified him in a complaint filed with the commune police on Sunday morning.
Commune and district police arrested Mr. Sopheat later that day and sent him to the provincial police station for questioning Monday, Mr. Socheat said.
“[Today] the suspect will be sent to the provincial court to face charges,” he added.
