The families of four primary school students who were allegedly sexually harassed filed a complaint with the Appeal Court on Tuesday after the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court dropped its investigation request.

Khiev Khuy said his 14-year-old niece and three other students had faced months of harassment and abuse by their 35-year-old teacher, who threatened the teens, saying he’d fail them if they told their parents.

“We were disappointed when the provincial court prosecutor dropped our case,” he said, adding that ample evidence had been presented to back the accusations.

According to Khuy, the students said their teacher often touched their breasts and hugged them in class and at his home. The harassment allegedly started in January, but the students didn’t tell their parents until May.

Khuy said the teacher was suspended from his teaching position and moved into a staff role at the district education office. An inspector from the Supreme Council of Magistracy, meanwhile, appeared in Kampong Chhnang last month to review the case as well as look into the prosecutor, Khuy said.

Prosecutor Penh Vibol could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Iv Vichet, Supreme Council of Magistracy inspector, confirmed he had carried out an investigation into both the case and the prosecutor but declined to comment further.

“I am waiting for my director’s orders on what will be done next,” he said.