The body of a 33-year-old rape victim was found in a rice field in Takeo province’s Trang district on Wednesday, with local police officials saying they were still unsure of the circumstances that led to her assault and murder.

Both district and provincial police officials said yesterday they were unsure how Chambok Em village resident Khuon Riem was killed. Hun Herm, an official at the provincial serious crimes unit, said the victim’s parents said Riem had disappeared from their home between 10pm and midnight on Tuesday.

“But that night, there was a concert in the village. The family tried to find her, but it was late at night so the family stopped looking,” Herm said yesterday. Phan Thorl, Trang district police chief, said the victim was found the next morning by a cattle herder. The police examination found no wounds on her body except for bleeding from her genitals.

While police found few clues at the scene beyond a pair of shoes and a flashlight near the body, officials said they believe the victim was gang raped.

“We think the victim was raped by two or three people,” Thorl said. “We have investigated and found some leads but we do not have a clear picture yet.”

According to Thorl, the victim’s mother claimed that she was mentally ill, though she had never been diagnosed by a medical expert.