Oddar Meanchey provincial police are searching for a 25-year-old RCAF soldier accused of raping his 8-year-old sister-in-law on Sept 13, a police official said yesterday.
Lam Poly, provincial chief of the anti-human trafficking police bureau, said Ny Chhun Nak allegedly raped the 8-year-old last week in Trapaing Prasat district’s Preah Brolay commune and then fled to a military camp in Preah Vihear province. He said Mr Nak is an RCAF soldier in Brigade 8 in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan district.
The mother reported the rape to police on Sept 14 and filed a complaint the same day, Mr Poly said.
“The suspect threatened to kill [the victim] if she told her mother,” Mr Poly said yesterday.
Mr Poly said authorities contacted the RCAF camp in Preah Vihear seeking the suspect’s return to Oddar Meanchey without success.
“Police sent a letter to the RCAF camp in order to bring the suspect in for questioning, but the suspect did not come,” Mr Poly said, adding that police are now preparing documents for Siem Reap Provincial Court “to take action” on the case. Oddar Meanchey province does not have a provincial court.
Srey Naren, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said the victim’s mother reported that her daughter had injuries consistent with rape. However, Mr Naren said Adhoc has yet to see the results of the medical examination.
According to Mr Naren, the mother also told Adhoc that the suspect raped the victim’s 5-year-old sister five months ago but did not report the rape to police.
“Because the mother of the victim did not file the complaint with the police, it gave a chance to the suspect to rape the other daughter,” Mr Naren said.
He said Adhoc has recorded nine rapes, including five child rapes, in Oddar Meanchey province this year, but added that the true number of rapes was likely higher.
Adhoc has recorded 195 child rapes in the first seven months of this year, a number that represents nearly two-thirds of all reported rapes in 2010. The Cambodia Daily has reported on nine child rapes since August.
