Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on Saturday charged a 25-year-old man with rape for allegedly attacking a 6-year-old girl luring her to his home in Preah Sihanouk City’s Buon commune, officials said yesterday.
Chan Sithear was arrested on Thursday evening when the victim’s family filed a complaint with police claiming that he had raped the 6-year-old earlier that day after convincing her to buy him a pack of cigarettes, according to Preah Sihanouk City police chief Man Tour.
“He lured and put the girl in his bed after she came back to his house, and began to take her clothes off,” he said, adding that Chan Sithear confessed to raping the girl.
“He gave 500 riel to the girl after raping her,” he said.
Officials at the Preah Sihanouk court could not be reached.
According to Top Sophea, director of the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Prison, Chan Sithear was brought to the prison Saturday after being charged by the court with rape.
“He was charged with rape and is now in custody,” he said.
In a separate case, police in Prey Veng province police questioned three men yesterday over their alleged involvement in the apparent rape and beating of a 14-year-old girl, said Peam Chor district police chief Suon Savat.
The victim was tending ducks in a rice field in Kompong Prasat commune yesterday morning when she was attacked by an unknown number of men.
“The victim was beaten with an ax and her body was naked,” he said.
Mr Savat said that of the three suspects, whom he would not name because the investigation is ongoing, only one confessed to attacking the girl.
“One suspect said that he had beaten the victim, but he didn’t say he wanted to rape her,” he said, declining to say why the suspect had not been arrested.
“This isn’t considered a rape case yet,” he said.
According to local rights group Adhoc, 113 child rapes nation wide were reported between January and April, while The Cambodia Daily has reported 18 child rapes, including rape-murders, in May and this month.
