Child Rape

A 12-year-old boy has been sent to Battambang provincial court for questioning after allegedly confessing to police that he raped a 5-year-old girl at his home in Rukhakiri district, officials said Wednesday.

Kuy Heang, head of the provincial anti-human trafficking bureau, said the suspect had confessed to the rape after being arrested Tuesday evening, and that he was sent to court on Wednesday. “We sent the boy this afternoon, accompanied by his father, to provincial court for further investigation following his confession to raping the girl,” he said. “According to the law, we are not permitted to hold children under the age of 13 in police custody, even though he has committed a rape.” District police Chief Ek Searthy said the victim’s mother filed a complaint accusing the boy of raping the girl in his home on Tuesday. He added that the suspect and victim were neighbours, and that the incident had taken place while their parents were out farming. Yat Kimsat, a provincial investigator for the rights group Licadho, said the girl had been sent to hospital.