Kompong Cham Provincial Court charged a 69-year-old man yesterday with raping a 12-year-old girl on Friday in the province’s Kroch Chhmar district, police said. Kroch Chhmar police arrested the suspect, Eav Soeun, on Sunday after they received a complaint from the victim’s mother.
During questioning, the suspect confessed to raping the young girl, as well as threatening to kill her if she told anyone about the attack. Provincial prosecutor Huot Vuthy said a medical examination corroborated the confession.
The suspect said he raped the girl on Friday afternoon in a forest close to her school, after persuading her away from the school by promising to buy her cake. Police said the suspect was able to persuade the 12-year-old to accompany him because he and the victim’s family are neighbors.
Pol Ham, spokesman for the Human Rights Party, confirmed that the suspect is a local activist for the party in Kroch Chhmar. “This is a personal problem, not a party problem,” Mr Ham said.
