Police in Banteay Meanchey province and in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district are investigating two separate cases last week in which women were murdered, including one in which a garment worker was killed after rebuffing a catcaller.

Banteay Meanchey provincial police have arrested Ruot Thom, 20, for allegedly killing his first cousin once removed with a hatchet in a drunken rage, according to Song Sokhum, the Svay Chek district deputy police chief.

The victim, 40-year-old Long Salieng, was a divorced mother of five.

“The suspect Ruot Thom admitted that he was furious at his auntie for insulting him, calling him a criminal and comparing him to a drug addicted person,” Sokhum said.

While three of Salieng’s children work in Thailand, the two youngest, a son, 11, and daughter, 2, lived with her. Sokhum said the boy told police he took his sister to a neighbour’s home after “a man came and brawled with his mother”, causing the child to leave in fright.

In another case on Friday night, 25-year-old Moul Sim was shot dead in the capital’s Choam Chao commune.

“We have identified some of the criminals already, and we are investigating and searching for them,” said Por Sen Chey District Police Chief Yem Saran.

Saran said the garment worker was shot three times after going clubbing with friends. As she exited, she fended off catcalls from the suspect, who was with three other men. Saran said the suspect and his group followed the victim before shooting her.