Attacks on children

POLICE in Pursat province’s Pursat town on Saturday arrested a man accused of the murder of an 11-year-old boy and the rape of the boy’s 13-year-old sister last week.

Ptas Prey commune police chief Pich Siphan said the suspect, 24, was  arrested while visiting his wife and child on Saturday, six days after he allegedly fled to Pursat’s Phnom Kravanh district and to Battambang province.

“Our police force arrived and managed to arrest the man, who was about to escape,” he said. “He confessed to the crimes.”

He said that, according to the suspect’s confessions, the victims were looking for fish and crabs in the commune, when the suspect lured the boy about 10 metres from his sister and slit his throat in a rice field.

“The sister did not see due to the rice stalks,” he said, and added that the suspect “then scuffled with the girl” before raping her. The suspect was sent to provincial court yesterday.

Provincial court prosecutor Tub Chan Sereyvud said he had not begun investigating the case.