Rape incident

ODDAR Meanchey provincial police have requested that Siem Reap court officials issue a warrant for the arrest of a soldier accused of raping his 8-year-old sister-in-law, after receiving a forensic examination report of the victim.

The suspect, a 25-year-old low-ranking officer in Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ Brigade 8, is accused of raping his sister-in-law on September 14 in Trapaing Prasat district’s Preah Pralay commune.

Roth Savon, provincial police chief in charge of serious crimes, said yesterday that an arrest warrant was needed for the suspect because he had refused to come to the police station for questioning.

“He hasn’t come out of his military base, so we have to request a warrant so we can take action against him,” he said, and added that he could not reveal the results of the examination as the investigation was ongoing.

Siem Reap provincial court prosecutor Ty Soveinthal said yesterday that he hadn’t yet received the report. “I’ve ordered the arrest of the suspect since the beginning, but someone is intervening,” he said.