Police and court officials are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl who took her own life last week after her parents allegedly locked her in a room when she refused an arranged marriage to a man more than 40 years her senior.

Chet Vanny, Battambang provincial police chief, said the girl’s parents had been un-cooperative when officials initially tried to investigate the death, after she hanged herself on Thursday night.

“The parents of the girl declined to allow us to check the girl’s body, but after I got the order letter from the prosecutor, they allowed us to see the girl,” he said. “The girl decided to kill herself because she was pressured with mental violence from her parents, and I have sent the case to the prosecutor already to take legal measures with the girl’s parents,” he said.

Vanny said a source told him the girl’s parents had planned to force her to marry a 60-year-old Cambodian-American.

Battambang provincial prosecutor Nuon San said the cause of death remained unclear.

“We just heard the rumour, and we need to investigate more,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mom Kunthear at [email protected]