A 14-year-old was arrested in Kampot province’s Chhouk district on Wednesday for raping a nine-year-old girl and attempting to kill her, NGO Child Protection Unit (CPU) said.
CPU said in its Facebook post on Thursday that the boy viciously attacked the child and attempted to kill her with a meat cleaver after the rape.
CPU operations director James McCabe said the attempted murder failed when a neighbour approached, prompting him to flee the scene.
He said the girl was raped while her parents were tending to their rice field near their home.
“The child was screaming for help just after the offender fled. She received numerous defensive injuries,” he said.
He said after the incident, CPU began an investigation in collaboration with provincial police and Military Police and arrested the suspect around three hours after the incident.
“Crime scenes were established and the suspect confessed during questioning. He is likely to face Kampot Provincial Court [on Thursday] on a charge of attempted murder,” he said.
The girl was first rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to the Kantha Bopha Hospital in Phnom Penh under critical condition, he said.
“From the defensive injuries I have observed on this tiny victim, I can say she has fought bravely for her life.
“She will receive all the necessary help and support we can offer. We will do everything to make sure she survives,” he said.
Chhouk district governor Khieu Rithy Phaon told The Post the suspect was sent to court on Thursday.
However, Kampot Provincial Court deputy prosecutor Khan Sophal said he had not yet received the case files.
