A construction worker, 33, accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in a rental room on Tuesday will be sent to the municipal court on Friday, Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district police chief Kol Yi said.

The suspect was identified as Sok Veng. Tuol Sangke commune police chief Keo Chantha said the suspect happened to stay in his nephew’s rental room – adjacent to the victim’s – when Veng saw the girl in hers.

Pretending to ask for garlic after ensuring no one was around, the suspect entered her room, locked the door and raped the victim.

The victim informed her mother of the incident, prompting the latter to make a complaint to the local police. An arrest was carried out immediately by the police.