Police are searching for three men who allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl in Kandal province on Tuesday, officials said.
Chea Ny, deputy police chief in Kandal’s Mok Kampoul district, said that Song Phanna, 22; Chab Layheang, 18; and a 17-year-old boy, who are neighbors, invited the girl to drink with them on an empty plot of land near their homes at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
He said the suspects forced the girl to consume a large quantity of whiskey, then assaulted her once she was inebriated.
“The suspects started to rape the victim in the bushes near where they were drinking, and they took turns,” Mr. Ny said, adding that a group of children who had been tending cattle nearby saw the rape taking place and ran to tell the girl’s uncle.
The uncle then drove to the scene, causing the suspects to run away when they heard his motorbike approaching, according to Mr. Ny said. The uncle found his niece unconscious and rushed her to a local hospital, he added.
“We will arrest the suspects soon,” Mr. Ny said. “Even though they have fled, we know their addresses and their families.”
Rong Sreymuch, women’s program officer for rights group Adhoc in Kandal, said the victim was transferred to a hospital in Takhmao City on Tuesday night and was expected to be released today.
Ms. Sreymuch said there had been 10 reported cases of child rape in Kandal since January, more than during the same period last year.
