A 71-year-old man from Battambang’s Banan district was sent to provincial court yesterday following his arrest the previous day for allegedly raping his 7-year-old step-granddaughter, according to police.

Banan district police chief San Vanny said the suspect, Yav Chea, confessed to having raped the victim on Saturday and Sunday.

The first alleged rape took place at midnight when the grandmother went to buy phone credit and the girl was left alone with the suspect. The second alleged rape occurred on Sunday when the grandmother went to work, Vanny said.

“The victim told the grandmother after the second rape because she was in much pain,” Vanny said. The victim lives with her grandmother and the suspect because her mother works in Phnom Penh.

The 51-year-old grandmother initially filed a complaint with local NGO Banteay Srei, which recommended that she also file a complaint with police, which she did on Tuesday.

The suspect, unaware that his partner had filed a complaint with police, was arrested at the couple’s house. The accused could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty, Vanny said.