A man who allegedly raped, robbed and strangled a nine-year-old girl in Kampot province’s Teuk Chhou district was officially charged with murder, torture and rape by the provincial court yesterday, prosecutor Iv Tray said.

“According to Article 205 of the penal code, the suspect might spend the rest of his life in prison if the court concludes he is guilty as accused,” he added.

Nget Sakhorn, director of the provincial serious crimes office, said suspect Er Servan, 21, was actually related to the victim and had gone out drinking with her father until the early hours of Sunday morning.

The father was still out when Servan came home and allegedly carried the victim out of her house to a nearby rice paddy, where he raped and strangled her before stealing her earrings and dumping her body near a neighbour’s house, Sakhorn said.

Another man had been arrested and questioned by the court, he added, but was released because he “was not involved” with the crime.