A 47-year-old man was arrested Sunday in Prey Veng province’s Kompong Trabek district for digging up and opening a coffin containing the body of a teenage girl and attempting to have intercourse with the corpse, Prey Poun commune chief Keo Vutha said.
Suspect Chin Chean told police that at 10 p.m. he began digging up the grave of the 17-year-old, who died on Thursday, and whose funeral he attended the day after.
He said he opened the coffin and touched the body before trying to have sex with it.
However, because the coffin was too small, it was not possible do so and he soon fell asleep on top of the body.
“Villagers saw Mr. Chean’s foot by the grave [at about 6 a.m.] and told the deceased’s family,” said Mr. Vutha.
The police were alerted and Mr. Chean was arrested, Prey Poun commune police chief Chan Sarin said. During questioning the suspect did not reveal why he had chosen to sexually abuse the body and police do not know whether the suspect knew the victim when she was alive.
Mr. Vuth said the suspect was known to take drugs and commit unusual acts such as running around the local pagoda naked.
“We are going to send Mr. Chean to the district police for questioning before we send him to court,” said Mr. Sarin.
