The assault, robbery and rape of an 18-year-old European woman while touring Angkor Archaeological Park earlier this month was reported to police in Siem Reap province on Tuesday.
The victim’s uncle, who asked that his name and nationality and that of the victim remain undisclosed, said on Tuesday that the family had waited until his niece had left Cambodia and returned safely to her home country before filing the police complaint.
According to a copy of the complaint, the victim was traveling by bicycle on March 4 between Kbal Spean village and Banteay Srei temple when she was robbed by two men traveling on a red motorbike at around 5:30 pm.
The teenager was forced to hand over her money, jewelry and rented bicycle and then to hand over her shoes and strip off her T-shirt, leaving her wearing only a brasserie above the waist, according to the complaint.
About an hour later, walking alone and barefoot, she was approached by three men, riding two bicycles and a motorbike, who surrounded the victim, violently assaulted her and then raped her, the complaint said.
“The one behind her took a stone and hit her on the back of her head, which made her fall to the ground. They kicked her head and legs” and then one of the men raped her, according to the report made to police.
“She stayed lying on the side of the road for a while. The side of the road went downwards, so she could not be seen from the road…. Finally, she decided to start walking,” the report states. The woman was eventually picked up by a tuk-tuk driver and brought to her guesthouse.
The uncle said that the family gave Cambodian police contacts the details of the crime informally on March 7, hoping to start the investigation, but that no action had come about because of the lack of a formal complaint.
“Mentally, she is devastated,” the uncle said.
Tes Chum, chief of Siem Reap’s Foreigners Police Bureau, said Banteay Srei district police have been ordered to investigate. “The aunt of the victim met police today to demand an investigation,” he said.
“There have been a few cases [of rapes of foreign tourists],” he added. “It doesn’t affect tourism.”
Tourism Minister Lay Prohas said he could not comment on the case until the investigation was completed.
“This problem happens in every country but we don’t want it to happen in our country. We are sorry,” he said.
