A man was charged with the murder of his partner at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court on Thursday afternoon after a weeklong search for his arrest.

The case is at least the eighth high-profile domestic murder so far this year, and one of several in which local police knew of ongoing violence in the home but failed to protect the victim.

Boen Sambol, 25, allegedly beat his girlfriend, Chea Sokha, 25, to death last Thursday in the border town of Poipet. He then fled to Battambang, according to Poipet Town Police Chief Thin Sindet.

“The court charged the suspect with intentional murder and ordered for the suspect to be detained” until trial, Sindet said.

After examining the victim’s body, police found she was covered in bruises, including deep bruising to her head and eyes.

On the day of the crime, Phsar Kandal Commune Police Chief Sok Phy said the alleged perpetrator drank all day and, once drunk, argued with his girlfriend before beating her to death.

Phy said while Sokha had never made a complaint to local authorities, this was far from the first time Sambol had been violent towards her.

“The suspect used to be arrested and educated several times relating to the domestic violence,” he said.

During a re-enactment of the murder scene as part of the investigation on Thursday morning, Phy said the suspect made a confession.

“I really have beaten her up severely because I was drunk back then, but I had no intention to kill her. I usually got furious with her when she talked with other men,” Phy quoted Sambol as saying.