POLICE  in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district arrested a military colonel accused of beating his wife, children and brother-in-law unconscious, with rights groups claiming domestic violence instances have already exceeded last year’s total.

Psar Kandal II commune chief Pen Ing said yesterday that district and commune police cooperated to intervene in the domestic violence dispute, which allegedly occurred on Tuesday at the colonel’s house. She said the colonel was immediately arrested and sent to the district police station for questioning.

“It was very shameful, and the victims are lucky because they were helped in time,” she said.

She said the colonel allegedly beat his wife on a daily basis, but neighbours were oblivious because the violence occurred behind closed doors.

She said that on the night in question, the suspect came home and argued with his wife, and began to beat her. Her brother intervened and demanded he stop, when the suspect began to beat him.

“The police officials have sent the victims for treatment at Calmette hospital,” she said, adding that district police officials had sent documents in relation to the case on Wednesday.

Am Sam Ath, a senior monitor for the rights group Licadho, said yesterday that 157 cases of domestic violence had been reported to the group in the first 10 months of this year, compared with 155 total cases of domestic violence in all of 2009.