The rape and double homicide occurred in Koki village in Prey Nop district’s Bit Traing commune. Supplied
Police are on the lookout for a suspect who raped a 10-year-old girl and then killed her and her two-and-a-half-year-old brother in a brutal attack in Sihanoukville on Wednesday, an incident described by a child-protection NGO as “beyond words”.
On Thursday, Preah Sihanouk provincial police said they knew the identity of the suspect but could not name him as investigations are ongoing.
The rape and double homicide occurred in Koki village in Prey Nop district’s Bit Traing commune.
Kol Phally, the deputy provincial police chief in charge of serious crime, told The Post on Thursday that provincial experts and Prey Nop district police
have been working together and have identified the suspect, though he remains in hiding.
“We have identified the suspect and are actively pursuing him. Right now, I cannot tell you more about what action the police are taking because we are still working on the case,” he said.
Prey Nop district police chief Huor Yai said authorities are looking to arrest the suspect but declined to name him.
“I am sorry, I cannot tell you more than this because we are working on the case,” he said.
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A district police report issued on Thursday said the police’s initial conclusion was that the suspect raped the girl and then killed her brother who was sleeping in the same house.
The report said the boy died at the scene of the crime, but the girl was sent to hospital in Phnom Penh by her family in a desperate attempt to save her life. However, she died at 8pm the same day while on the way to the hospital.
A Bit Traing commune police officer, who asked not to be named, told The Post on Thursday that the victims’ parents are construction workers who often brought their children to work with them.
He said on the day of the incident, the parents did not bring the two to work but left them at home. The source said an unidentified suspect came to the house and brutally raped the girl and killed both of them.
“I don’t know anything for certain because the police are working on the case, but we suspect that the offender raped the 10-year-old girl first before proceeding to kill her brother because he was afraid the boy would identify him,” he said.
Child Protection Unit (CPU) service chief Som Vathana told The Post that after receiving the news of the attack from police, she and her team went to the scene and saw the police collecting evidence.
“Currently, I don’t have any information to report because we are working on the case. Please wait until our investigation is complete,” she said.
The official CPU Facebook page said on Thursday: “The brutality of this furious attack is beyond words and has shocked some of the most seasoned homicide investigators.
“Every possible resource is being used to identify the individual responsible for this crime. Be under no misapprehension we will use every possible resource available to us to find you and bring you to justice."
“It is incomprehensible the level of violence used on these two innocent children. May you both rest in peace with the promise Task Force members will not rest until we have made an arrest and prosecuted the individual responsible for this horrific crime.”
Provincial deputy governor Heak Hy Moly said during a meeting to raise awareness on the prevention and fight against child sex abuse on Wednesday that because of Sihanoukville’s rapid development, the authorities must devise specific plans to combat abuse.
“If we do not quickly take steps to prevent and stop child abuse, sexual exploitation will continue to occur. Therefore, all authorities must pay close attention and monitor all activities to minimise the sexual abuse of children,” he said.
