A 25-year-old woman was arrested in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district yesterday for allegedly throwing acid on her 17-year-old sister after discovering that the victim and her husband had been having an illicit relationship behind her back.

Suspect Pov Pisey was immediately apprehended by police after a neighbour saw her attack her younger sister Pov Srey Neang with acid, according to Por Sen Chey district police chief Yem Saran.

The neighbour was surprised and hurriedly sent the victim to hospital where she is being treated for minor acid burns.

“Luckily, she did not sustain any serious injury or die, because the acid that was used is a kind of weak acid and it does not create much reaction that could lead to serious injuries,” Saran said.

According to the police chief, after questioning the suspect police learned that her motivation for the attack was revenge as she found out that her sister and her 38-year-old husband, Chheang Song Try, had been engaged in an affair behind her back.

The victim is now also allegedly three months pregnant with Try’s baby.

Saran added that Pisey threw the acid, which she bought for 5,000 riel ($1.25) in the nearby market, at her sister to scare her into staying away from Try.

“The suspect, however, did not know that the acid she bought is a kind of weak acid.

“If the acid is strong, suspects usually get seriously injured or die,” he said. “It is so lucky for the victim, but we still made sure to send her to the hospital.”

Police are currently preparing the paperwork to file to the courts.

“Even though it was her sister, she still dared to throw acid at her because of the cheating. She might no longer have any love for her,” Saran added.

A similar attack took place in the same district last March. A 20-year-old woman died after she was attacked by another woman due to an affair. The suspect was sent to jail on the court’s orders.