An elderly man was tied up and beaten at his home on the outskirts of Phnom Penh yesterday by adult children from his first wife, while his 30-year-old second wife and their four young children watched in terror, police said.

Buth Samnang, 64, who had eight children with his first wife, was slapped approximately 50 times on his head and body by his 27-year-old son till he thumbprinted a document signing over property to the children from his first wife, Russey Keo district deputy police chief Chan Sahuth said.    

“They were fighting over the property,” said Dy Savuth, a police officer at Kilometre Number 6 commune. “The children from his first wife wanted to control his land because they feared it would go to his young wife when he died,” he said.

The fight began while Samnang Sophon, 27, his sister Samnang Sopheak, 30, and her husband Phol Thoy, 32, were attempting to remove appliances – which they claimed belonged to the first wife – from the family home in Krol Kor village.

Buth Samnang, a former soldier, was shopping at a local market at the time. When he returned home about 12:30pm he tried to prevent his adult children from taking the appliances, and a fist fight ensued, Chan Sahuth said.

The adult children tied Buth Samnang up to prevent him getting his pistol and shooting them, Dy Savuth said.

The three alleged assailants were arrested  about 1pm and sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Military Police for questioning, Chan Sahuth said.

The father was also sent to police for questioning for alleged illegal possession of a pistol.

All four face fines or jail time if found guilty.