Policeand local authorites have identified a suspect in the brutal murder and rape of a 48-year-old polio victim in Prey Veng province, an official said yesterday.

An investigation was launched after Aun Thouk was found dead in Teuk Thla commune in Svay Anthor district on April 8.

Major Tum Sann Mony, chief of the Svay Anthor district police, said yesterday that his authority was working hard to track down the suspect.

He added that police had identified a suspect and that he would be arrested and brought to justice soon.

“So far, we have already identified the suspect. He is also a villager, who lived in the same village [as the victim],” he said.

Aun Thouk is believed to have been raped and tortured by the man in a rice field in Korki village.

I think that this is one of the most serious cases which has ever happened in Prey Veng

It was found that the victim sustained fatal injuries to her head during the attack.

Her neck was tied with nylon rope and her clothes had been  removed, Tum Sann Mony said.

“The victim is an old and single woman and had polio.

“She had gone to tend to her cattle at the rice field in the village when she was raped and later killed,” he said.

“This murder is very cruel and frightful for people in Svay Anthor district as well as in Prey Veng,” he siad.

“To protect other people from committing such a cruel crime again in the future, I must try my best to work and arrest the killer for prosecution,” he added.

Lay Im, provincial monitor for local rights group Adhoc, called on local authorities to arrest the suspect for prosecution and asked the provincial court to consider strong punishment in order to set an example.

“I think that this is one of the most serious cases which has ever happened in Prey Veng. “My organisation is now also conducting research and investigations about this case,” said Lay Im.