PURSAT provincial police have arrested one of three men accused of violently raping an 18-year-old woman at a pagoda in Bakan district on Friday night.

District police chief Pen Tung said yesterday that the woman was walking home after watching a film at a pagoda in Trapaing Chong commune when a man attacked her and carried her to another pagoda, where three men repeatedly raped her.

“We arrested one of the three suspects, identified as Oam Tith, 18, on Sunday morning while the other two suspects, identified as Horm Barang, 19, and Un Chan, 19, are on the run,” he said.

He said that Oam Tith had confessed to police that he was guilty of raping the girl and named his accomplices.

“He confessed to raping the girl on that night with his two other friends until she was very hurt, and they threatened to kill her if she dared to tell people or police,” Pen Tung said.

He added: “We are now hunting for the other two. We already have identified them and have sought arrest warrants from the court.”

Nget Thavy, the provincial coordinator for local human rights group Adhoc, said yesterday that the victim was recovering and receiving medical treatment at Pursat provincial hospital.

“We have helped the victim from the start,” she said. “Her condition is very painful.”