A senior police official who made “unacceptable, facetious and offensive” comments about a woman who miscarried after she was allegedly kicked in the stomach by one of his officers should be sacked, a coalition of rights groups said in a statement released yesterday.

Bov Srey Sras lost her baby after she was kicked outside of the appeal trial for a group of female protesters that were imprisoned and became known as the Boeung Kak 13.

After Srey Sras filed a lawsuit against Phnom Penh Deputy Police Chief Phuong Malay, Daun Penh Deputy Governor Sok Penhvuth and an unknown officer, the alleged perpetrator, Malay made a comment widely interpreted as suggesting he could impregnate her as compensation.

“Is the victim old or young, and does she sue me to return her kid?” Malay told the Post late last month. “I want to tell her that if she wants to get back her kid, I am also young.”

Director of Gender and Development for Cambodia and secretariat of the Committee to Promote Women in Politics, Ros Sopheap, said yesterday that Malay’s implication was clear and unacceptable.

“What I understand he means, is that he can be the person that can have sex with Srey Sras, to have another baby to replace the baby she wants to get back,” she said.

National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said he could not be sure if Malay actually made the comments, but vowed to take disciplinary measures if he really did.

“As a police officer, he should not comment like that, because the police officer is the person who serves the people, protects the people. If he said that it is not a good word,” he said.

Malay could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The woman’s sister, Bov Sophea, said they were now considering filing another suit against Malay over his comments.

“He looked down on my sister, which means that he looked down on women in general.”

To contact the reporters on this story: David Boyle at [email protected]

Chhay Channyda at [email protected]