A Sihanoukville prosecuting judge said Monday that a British man who had been held for the attempted rape of a minor was released on March 18 due to a lack of evidence.
Sok Soeun said that when the alleged victim, a 12-year-old boy, appeared in court “face to face” with the former suspect, Mansel Stewart, he declined to testify.
However, on Tuesday the female guardian of the boy denied that claim, saying that neither she nor her charge had ever seen Stewart in court and that they both had been prepared to testify.
Also, part-time Sihanoukville resident Patrick Uong said Tuesday that he and a Swedish woman, Erika Hilmersson, had both filed testimonies against Stewart. Uong said that on March 2 he witnessed Stewart making advances toward young boys on Serendipity Beach, some of whom reported to Uong that Stewart had solicited them for sex.
Uong said he saw Mansel take the 12-year-old to his guest house at about 7:15 pm and then confronted the man with two off-duty policemen. He claimed that during the confrontation the boy, who could be heard kicking at the door from inside, escaped from behind Stewart.
The guardian of the boy registered a complaint with the Sihanoukville prosecutor the following day with assistance from the human rights group Licadho. The complaint alleged that Mansel attempted to coerce oral sex from the boy with promises of money, a Licadho representative said on March 12.
Mansel was picked up on March 10 by anti-trafficking police at Phnom Penh’s Sunshine Hotel and handed over to Sihanoukville’s anti-trafficking police, who held him pending an investigation.
Sok Soeun said that Mansel’s current whereabouts are unknown.
