A local district official from Kandal province was arrested alongside another man this week on suspicion of confining and raping a 14-year-old girl in a guesthouse, commune police said.
Morm Sela — who serves as the deputy chief of the legal office for dispute resolution in Loeuk Dek district — was arrested October 25 in Ampil village in Kampong Phnom commune, said commune police chief Tong Tin.
Sela, 35, and Ouk Toeng, 36, allegedly detained the 14-year-old girl and raped her multiple times, Tin said.
On October 7, a third man — who has not been arrested — invited the victim to eat a meal with Sela, where they gave her beer until she was drunk before bringing her to a local guesthouse and raping her, the commune police chief said.
Tin said that about three days later, the duo attempted to do the same thing again, but the victim hid from the men under the sofa until they took her back home. A week after that, Sela allegedly took the victim to a guesthouse again. This time, the second arrestee, Toeng, allegedly raped the victim.
“We invited [the suspects] to eat something and we arrested them. We have just cooperated with the district police to arrest them,” Tin said, adding that district police were now reviewing the case.
District police chief Ang Thou could not be reached for comment. Ek Sunreaksmey, a spokesman for the provincial prosecutor’s office, confirmed the case but said it was still in police hands.
