A man accused of dousing acid on his infant son in Kandal province's Khsach Kandal district was placed in pre-trial detention at the provincial prison on Friday following his arrest the previous day.

Kandal Provincial Court spokesman Sou Sarin told The Post that the suspect, identified as Uk Kompheak, 22, had been in hiding elsewhere in the province since the incident on January 14 in Sanlong commune's Dul village.

Provincial prosecutor Sou Sovichet said Kompheak had been charged with intentional violence using acid. Investigating Judge Chhe Vivathanak charged him and ordered the suspect detained in prison.

“The suspect was charged on Friday and detained at Kandal prison the same day,” Sarin said.

Khsach Kandal district deputy police chief Un Yong said the victim was only just more than a year old.

After receiving treatment for a week, the child's condition had improved, Yong said, because the acid was not strong. He added that he had not personally seen the child, who had been sent to a private clinic.

“I am not aware of how the infant was injured in the acid attack. However, after the boy had acid thrown at him, his face was [burned] red, but the acid the father used was weak,” he said.

Yong said that after the suspect went into hiding, Kandal provincial police cooperated with a Kampot provincial task force to find and arrest him on Thursday.

He said the suspect lived with his wife, Ra Sreynich, 19, and the victim. Kompheak had a history of domestic violence against Sreynich, Yong said.

He said that on the day of the attack, Sreynich ran away from her husband to stay with her mother in the same village.

Kompheak phoned Sreynich, asking her to come home but, when she refused, he threatened her, Yong said.

He said that later that night, Sreynich was walking on the street with another family member when Kompheak appeared and threw acid on his wife, his son and the relative.

He then escaped on a motorbike, Yong said.