Battambang provincial police sent a man to court on Thursday for allegedly raping his 14-year-old sister-in-law.

Bun Vannara, the head of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Bureau in the province, told The Post on Thursday that the 34-year-old suspect allegedly raped the child more than 10 times in Phnom Proek district’s Pich Chenda commune.

Commune police chief Eab Mao said the suspect’s wife told police that at around 6pm on Tuesday, she went into the house and saw her husband taking off her underage sister’s shirt. The suspect stopped and rushed out of the house.

After the incident, the victim told her that her brother-in-law had consistently raped her over the past three months and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

During questioning, the suspect admitted to raping his sister-in-law.

“Because statements by the suspect and those of the victim are consistent, they prove that the suspect raped the victim,” Mao said.

He said the victim was sent to the district referral hospital so a doctor could examine her for results to be produced in court.

Am Sam Ath, the deputy head of the investigation programme at rights group Licadho, said on Thursday that there is a growing concern about rape and sexual abuse of children, the use of violence against them and child labour.

The organisation found cases of violence and sexual abuse against children between January and September numbered about 100.

National Cambodian Council for Children (NCCC) secretary-general Nhep Sopheap told The Post on Thursday that addressing the issues require the participation of all relevant institutions including NGOs, local authorities, parents and children themselves.