Police in Kompong Cham province arrested a 36-year-old man on Sunday in connection with the rape and murder of his 25-year-old sister-in-law.
Rorn Maath, a farmer in Memot district’s Toanloung commune, confessed to killing Mat Marynen on Saturday but denied he raped the victim, deputy district police chief Keo Samneang said yesterday.
“The suspect is pretending like he has a mental problem, however police still assume he raped and killed the victim,” the police chief said.
Arrested at his home, Mr Maath allegedly told police he gave Mrs Marynen a ride on his motorbike to her family’s farm at about 8 am. Later that morning police said Mr Maath allegedly stabbed his sister-in-law in the neck twice with a knife, killing her instantly. Her body was discovered roughly one kilometer from her home lying naked in a field, prompting police to surmise that she was raped and then killed.
In an unrelated case, police are still searching for three men charged in absentia in the brutal gang rape and slaying of an 11-year-old girl in Kompong Cham’s Suong town, according to deputy chief Chan Hor of the provincial judicial police. Police have arrested seven young men in connection with the crime, saying the group confessed to raping Chea Sovatey on the night of Sept 19, though only the alleged ringleader, 20-year-old Tes Sompouv, was responsible for repeatedly stabbing her and slashing her throat with a knife. The seven are awaiting trial, provincial clerk Heng Somphos said.
Thov Chenda, provincial women’s rights monitor for local NGO Adhoc, said that since the beginning of 2009 there have been 20 reported cases of child rape in Kompong Cham, four occurring during this month alone.
“Child rapes are still increasing and it is very cruel that it happens to a child and they are killed after raping,” she said.
