DECEMBER 2: Heng Long, 44, was arrested by police after a 13-year-old girl

accused him of raping her in Sangke village, Banteay Meanchey province. The girl

told police Long raped her four times the first night then he raped her twice per

night over 16 days. She said Long promised to buy her a mobile phone and new dresses

but he did nothing.

DECEMBER 2: Chhai Sim, 42, and his neighbor, Noun Kheng, 42, were knifed and

severely injured during a nighttime robbery while driving home on a motorbike in

Sopor Tep commune, Kampong Speu province. Sim and Kheng are now under medical treatment

at a provincial hospital. Police said Sim was chopped twice and Kheng was chopped

four times with a cleaver during a fight with two robbers who escaped on a stolen

motorbike.

DECEMBER 3: Sam Prathana, 18, was sent to Russian hospital for surgery after

a group of gangsters injured him during a robbery at 9:30am in Toul Tumpong 1 commune,

Phnom Penh. A passerby told police Prathana was shot in the stomach with a handgun

as he tried to protect his new motorbike from robbers.

DECEMBER 3: Chhai Seakheng and Sai Sophal, both policemen, were sent to a

provincial hospital for treatment after a group of gangsters chopped them with axes

during an argument at a Karaoke shop in Phoum Bei village, Koh Kong. The shop's owner

said the argument occurred after the pair and two other colleagues wooed a girlfriend

of the gangsters.

DECEMBER 3: Police are looking for a drunken man Korm Paing, 27, who fled

after killing his brother-in-law, Mean Yu, 37, during an argument at 6:30pm in Boeng

Kachaut village, Kampong Cham province. Police said Yu was chopped once in the neck,

four times in the face and in the stomach with a heavy knife as he was arguing with

a younger sister, Paing's wife.

DECEMBER 4: Kang Vuth, 33, was arrested by police after killing her drunken

husband, San Sokun, 45, at 2:30pm in Prek Chik village, Kratie province. A neighbor

told police the argument happened after Vuth refused to give money to Sokun to buy

wine. The neighbor said Vuth was angry and struck Sokun twice on the head with a

long stick and hit him on the face with a rock after she was kicked twice.

DECEMBER 4: Hem Channy, 18, was arrested for a murder he committed the previous

night in Kan Tre village, Svay Rieng province. Police said Channy killed Soun Phany,

22. Police said Phany was chopped to death with a heavy knife as he was walking and

passing in front of Channy's house on a visit home.

DECEMBER 4: Provincial court sentenced Pen Taingchhai, 40, to 18 years in

prison after he was convicted of murder during a rape in Prek Praing village, Kratie

province. The court said at the hearing that Taingchhai was arrested on May 23, after

killing Chhit Chantha, 33, while she was looking after her buffaloes at a rice field

behind the house. The court ordered Taingchhai to pay 8 million riel to the victim's

family for compensation.

DECEMBER 5: Nao Saron, 33, was arrested after being accused of rape the previous

night in Phneay commune, Kampong Speu province. Police said the arrest was made after

a 14-year-old girl came to the police station with her parents and complained that

Saron raped her when she came to sleep at his house while helping her aunt with her

newborn baby. Saron confessed and said he was drunk.

DECEMBER 5: Six gunmen escaped on three motorbikes after robbing a gold vendor,

Sai Dy, 42, while he and his sister were walking home at 5:30pm in Psar Kandal 1

commune, Phnom Penh. Eyewitness said one of the six aimed a handgun at Dy's head

and shot him in the shoulder after he tried to run away with his sister who was also

shot in the waist. They escaped with a jewelry suitcase valued more than $100,000.

DECEMBER 6: Police took a hairdresser, Chhun Chamroeun, 28, to Calmette Hospital

after she suddenly lost consciousness during a robbery at 6:10am in Psar Kandal 2

commune, Phnom Penh. Police said Chamroeun fell off a motorbike taxi and received

a severe head injury when two robbers on a motorbike grabbed a bag from her shoulder.

DECEMBER 7: Sem Pheak, 17, a fisherman, was arrested by police after he chopped

Chea Ly, 19, to death with a heavy knife during a nighttime argument in Prey Nop

commune, Sihanoukville. Police said the argument happened after Ly tried to beat

Pheak with a long oar during the fight. Ly was angry because Pheak was late in returning

his borrowed boat.

DECEMBER 8: The body of Kheav Malipanharong, 13, was found in a water basin

in Prochum Vong pagoda located in Nirauth commune, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Police said the boy was kidnapped from his house in Phnom Penh and murdered. Kheav

Panhawat, 42, the father of Malipanharong, said that he received a telephone call

from a kidnapper who demanded $3,000 ransom, but he had no money to offer to him.

DECEMBER 8: Som Moeun, 45, was found dead at 8:30am in Chor Liav village,

Kampong Chhnang province. Police said Moeun was murdered with an ax and a hoe while

driving home on a motorbike with a 3-year-old son. Police suspected a group of people

killed Moeun because villagers had seen them leaving.

DECEMBER 8: Muth Bora, 22, and Sovan Samnang, 26, were arrested for murder

while staying at a rental house in Thmey village, Kandal province. Police said they

killed a friend, Meas Vuthdy, 22, and stole his motorbike. The pair confessed and

said they knocked Vuthdy on the back of his head while urinating on a sidewalk and

then strangled him with a rope.

DECEMBER 9: Eng Srey, 50, a gold vendor and a money changer, was robbed at

2:30pm while she was working at her shop outside the Olympic market in Phnom Penh.

Two masked robbers aimed a handgun at the vendor and shot her in the bottom after

she shouted for help.