The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday sentenced a youth to five years in jail for raping his underage girlfriend in the capital last year.

Judge Ky Rithy read out his verdict to Keo Manit, 19, who is also known as Mao. He said after deliberation and hearing the submission of his defence lawyer and the prosecutor, the judges decided to sentence him to five years in prison and ordered him to pay five million riel in compensation to the victim.

“The Phnom Penh Municipal Court allows the accused to appeal against the verdict to the Appeal Court if he dissatisfied with it,” Judge Rithy said.

After the verdict was read, Seng Monpunlork, the defendant’s lawyer, said his client was charged with one count under Article 42 for having sexual intercourse with a minor under 15 years.

He was also charged on a second count under Article 9 of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation for the unlawful removal of a minor.

“While the judge has made his decision, I will meet my client and his family to discuss if they wish to take up the matter at the Appeal Court,” he said.

During the trial on December 16, Manit, who used to be a drug addict, told the judge that he had known the 15-year-old student since last year. She is his neighbour in Meanchey III commune, Meanchey district.

After they had exchanged mobile text messages, they fell in love and he often sneaked into her home at night to sleep with her. After the love relation was known to her parents, his parents asked her to allow them to get married, but her parents refused as he was a drug addict.

The couple eloped to Takeo province where she became pregnant but miscarried. Faced with financial difficulties, the couple returned home. The girl’s parents then lodged a police complaint after which Manit was arrested on July 10 this year.