The Kompong Chhnang Provincial Court on Sunday charged a farmer for allegedly raping his friend’s 8-year-old daughter in her house on Friday after her parents and the suspect had been out drinking, police said.
The suspect, Uom Sorphoan, 32, met the victim’s parents to drink at a shop in Rolea Ba’ier district’s Chrey Bakk commune at about noon on Friday, according to district police chief Toem Chanthy.
“The parents went to join the drinking party and left their young daughter alone at home” in a neighboring village, he said. After about an hour of drinking, the victim’s parents fell asleep at the shop, he said, adding that when they woke at about 2 p.m. Mr. Sorphoan had already left.
“When he saw the victim’s parents were drunk, the suspect rode his bicycle to [their] house, where he found the girl,” Mr. Chanthy said. “He saw the girl sleeping alone, and he removed her clothing and raped her.”
Mr. Sorphoan was gone by the time the parents arrived at home to find their daughter crying.
“After they found out the suspect had raped their daughter, the parents went to the commune police station to file a complaint to arrest the suspect,” the district police chief said, adding that Mr. Sorphoan was arrested at his house about 30 minutes later.
“While we were questioning him on Sunday, the suspect confessed, but he said he had no intention to rape the girl and had just gone to his friend’s house to take a nap,” he said.
“But when he saw the girl alone he couldn’t control his feelings because he drank too much rice wine and also does not have a wife,” he added.
Mr. Chanthy added that the girl was still receiving treatment at the provincial referral hospital.
Duoch Chamroeun, chief of the provincial police’s serious crimes bureau, said Mr. Sorphoan was sent to court on Sunday.
“The court charged him with raping a minor, and we have already sent him to pretrial detention at the provincial prison,” he said.
