A 31-year-old man was yesterday charged with the murder of his wife in Takeo’s Tram Kak district.
The case comes after a spate of domestic murders over the past several weeks. In many cases, commune authorities were found to have knowledge of ongoing abuse but failed to act to protect the victims from escalating violence.
Noun Sophal, an assistant taxi driver, took his 32-year-old wife, Bou Sourn, to Ang Tasom Commune Health Centre on Sunday, claiming she had fallen ill. Police suspect Sourn, the mother of a 6-week-old baby, was dead on arrival.
Tram Kak Deputy District Police Chief Sok Sokchea said she had multiple bruises and scars on her face and body.
“I thought the wife already passed away, but he pretended like his wife was just very sick,” Sokchea said. “During the interrogation he did not confess that he killed his wife, but when we talked with the relatives, they said he very often used violence and hit her.”
Tram Kak Commune Chief Tob Bunthorn said the family of three had relocated to his commune in the past month, and he had received no reports of violence in that time.
“We could go down to intervene and educate them if the violence happened, but we never heard about it,” he said. Bunthorn said the infant is now in the care of Sourn’s mother.
