A female market vendor faced court yesterday charged with regularly beating her domestic servant – a 15-year-old boy – a judge said.

Nuth Sopheak, who works at a market in the capital’s Tuol Kork district, was charged with aggravated intentional violence over her alleged treatment of the boy, who has been sent to hospital for treatment, Phnom Penh Municipal Court investigating judge Te Sam Ang told the Post.

Soa Seny, an official from rights-group Licadho, said Sopheak had been paying the boy only $30 per month to work long hours and had used a rake and wire to beat and torture him “almost every day”.

“It is a serious case of violence against children,” Seny said. “The boy could not endure any more, so he escaped [last weekend]. He has so many wounds on his body.”

Pich Sokhen, chief of Teuk La’ak I commune, said authorities rescued the boy after help from a neighbour.

“He was working for the vendor … and was mistreated,” he said.

Police had contacted the boy’s parents, who live in Svay Rieng province, and urged them to encourage him to return to school, he added.