Two students were found guilty yesterday of raping an underage girl in Russey Keo district in May. Taing Sunlay, presiding judge at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said 20-year-old Phan Panha and 19-year-old Nuon Chea were guilty of “rape with aggravating circumstances”.

“The court sentences them to seven years [imprisonment] and orders them to jointly pay 20 million riel [about $5,000] in compensation to the victim,” said Sunlay. Captain Sok Sopheng, deputy chief of Russei Keo district police, said the pair was arrested on May 10 following a complaint from the victim’s parents.

According to Sopheng, the victim had accused Panha and Chea of luring her out of the capital on the pretext of a trek in the country. She was then taken to a room in Tuol Sangke commune, where the two men forcibly raped her. The defence lawyers of the accused could not be reached yesterday.