A woman and her sister were stabbed to death on Thursday in Kampong Cham province’s Tbong Khmum district, officials said yesterday, in a drunken act of domestic violence that also left the woman’s stepdaughter and nephew with serious injuries.

District police chief Meung Rai Ya said police were searching for a 47-year-old man who fled after killing his wife, Sa Pov, 44, when she tried to protect her 18-year-old daughter after he yanked the girl’s head by her hair when she refused to cook for him.

He said Sa Pov’s sister, Sa Puth Tamas, 53, was stabbed and her daughter and 15-year-old nephew were seriously injured.

“We always educate people against domestic violence, but it continues to occur in drunken situations,” he said, adding that it was the second case of fatality arising from domestic violence in the district so far this year.

Provincial Adhoc coordinator Phoung Sothea said that while local authorities could not be blamed in this case, they were often careless in investigating domestic violence.

“Sometimes, police think that it’s the same case again and again, and do not particularly care to investigate,” he said, adding that family members sometimes chose not to file complaints.