A Dutch national accused of sexually abusing two underage boys was released Monday by the Sihanoukville Municipal Court, which cited a lack of evidence despite the accused having confessed to police, court officials said.
“We released him [Monday] afternoon because our investigating judge did not find any evidence against him,” Deputy Prosecutor Chhum Ngorn said Tuesday.
“The evidence is very unclear so we decided to drop charges against him.”
Police arrested Joseph Bouwen, 50, in a public area near O’Chheuteal beach on Nov 24 in the company of a 15-year-old boy who had his trousers pulled down, police said at the time.
Bouwen later confessed to the charge of debauchery and to molesting another boy the night before, Be Sivanna, Sihanoukville anti-trafficking police bureau chief, said at the time.
“I don’t know why he was released,” Be Sivanna said Tuesday. “When he was arrested, police had witnesses and evidence.”
But investigating Judge Sok Soeun said there was neither evidence nor witnesses to support the allegations.
“When I asked three boys they said they did not see [the alleged offense] by themselves. They only heard [about] it from others,” the judge said.
Bouwen’s lawyer, Nou Tepirith, said his client denied confessing to police.
“The confession was on the weakest elements,” he said, adding, “some confessions could come from not understanding the questions.”
Margaret Eno, managing director of M’Lop Tapang, a Sihanoukville-based NGO that works with street children, said representatives from the organization and the boys’ parents planned to meet Chhum Ngorn on Tuesday afternoon to press for an appeal.
