An 18-year-old novice monk was yesterday charged with intentional violence and sent to Kampong Thom Provincial Prison after attacking a fellow novice with a cleaver on Sunday.

“The victim was very seriously injured, with one cut in the back and another in the left forehead. The cuts just reached the bone,” said Vorn Sophoan, Stoung district deputy police chief in charge of judicial police.

According to the pagoda’s chief monk, Lam Eth, the suspect, Rin Vuthy, attacked 17-year-old Doch Sokheng when his request for a rematch was denied after he had lost a cleaver duel a few days before in which he was slashed across the mouth.

“He got furious . . . When the victim walked near his monastery, he just jumped out and slashed him,” Eth said. “When we saw that, we immediately intervened to stop the monk, defrock him and hand him to the police.”

Eth added that he plans to advise Sokheng to voluntarily defrock or move to another pagoda.