A Kampong Chhnang teacher accused of sexually assaulting several of his students more than three years ago will be sent to trial, with a fresh warrant issued for his arrest late last week.

Provincial court spokesman Chhuon Sivin confirmed that the investigating judge on December 16 ordered the case be sent to trial after authorities had failed to act on an October arrest warrant for the alleged perpetrator, former teacher Kem Chan Chhen.

Chan Chhen allegedly sexually abused four of his students between January and May in 2013, but the case has progressed in fits and starts, delaying justice for the girls – the majority of whom dropped out of school as a result.

“The court’s procedure needs to speed up, because it does not want the case to be stuck; if the court waits for the arrest, the case will be frozen for a long time,” Sivin said, adding no date had been set yet.

Provincial deputy police chief Pol Vuthy yesterday said a new warrant had been issued on Friday. “My subordinate just has just handed to me … we are working on it now,” he said.

Despite Chan Chhen continuing to work a desk job within the primary school bureau of the provincial department of education, Vuthy last month insisted police “could not find him”.

Khiev Khuy, uncle to one of the young victims, slammed authorities’ inaction thus far.

“Since police have not arrested the perpetrator, who dares to arrest him? This is injustice for them,” he said.