Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Convicted rapist still at large: NGO

Convicted rapist still at large: NGO

Convicted rapist still at large: NGO

Two years after his conviction, a Kampong Chhnang rapist remains free, prompting human rights activists yesterday to slam local law enforcement for their inaction.

According to provincial ADHOC coordinator Sam Chankeat, the police had “no will to find justice” after Mer Virak raped a 20-year-old woman in 2012 in Boribor district’s Melom commune.

The victim’s mother, You Sophorn, said she filed an initial complaint but the perpetrator’s family approached the victim with an offer of marriage.

The victim accepted but, days later, Virak reneged, leading Sophorn to file another complaint, which commune police said was invalid because the victim had previously agreed to wed her rapist.

Sophorn said she then sought out legal representation through Adhoc, and Virak was prosecuted at the provincial level in absentia. Although he was fined 8 million riel (almost $2,000) and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2014, he remains at large.

“I cannot be silent. Now the suspect is still not arrested,” Sophorn said.

Kampong Chhnang provincial police chief Soum Socheat said he was not aware of the case because the charges stemmed from four years ago.

Gender and Development in Cambodia executive director Ros Sopheap said the too-common practice of settling rape cases with compensation or marriage outside of the courtroom needed to stop.

“The rapist or the perpetrator must face responsibility,” she said, adding that perpetrators could become repeat offenders if there were no repercussions for their crimes.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Rare plant fetches high prices from Thai, Chinese

    Many types of plants found in Cambodia are used as traditional herbs to treat various diseases, such as giloy or guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) or aromatic/sand ginger (Kaempferia galangal) or rough cocklebur (Xanthium Strumartium). There is also a plant called coral, which is rarely grown

  • Ministry using ChatGPT AI to ‘ease workload’; Khmer version planned

    The Digital Government Committee is planning to make a Khmer language version of popular artificial intelligence (AI) technology ChatGPT available to the public in the near future, following extensive testing. On March 9, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications revealed that it has been using the

  • Cambodia returns 15M Covid jabs to China

    Prime Minister Hun Sen said Cambodia will return 15 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to China for donation to other countries. The vaccines in question were ordered but had not yet arrived in Cambodia. While presiding over the Ministry of Health’s annual meeting held on

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide