Provincial Military Police officers arrested two men for their alleged involvement in the killing of a student and the theft of her property on December 5 in Boribor district’s Chhnok Trou commune. Police
The Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court placed two men in pre-trial detention on December 9 for their alleged involvement in the killing of a student and the theft of her property on December 3.
Provincial Military Police officers arrested the two on December 5 in Boribor district’s Chhnok Trou commune.
Provincial Military Police deputy commander Hang Socheat said the accused, Kan Chhun Leng, 36, lives in Krakor district, Pursat province, while his accomplice, Lun Soklout, 22, is from Kampong Thom province’s Kampong Svay district.
“The court charged the two suspects under Article 57 of the Criminal Code for using violence with aggravating circumstances,” he said.
If found guilty, they face between three and 10 years imprisonment.
Relating the case background, Socheat said the victim’s body was found on December 4 in a river. On December 5, his officials arrested four suspects, but two were released after it was determined they had nothing to do with the crime.
He said that on December 7, police summoned another man who lived in the same village as the victim for questioning. He too was allowed to leave after it was determined that he had nothing to do with the crime.
Lam Chanthy, who is the victim’s older brother, said the victim was Lam Rotha, 19, a Grade 12 student at Hun Sen Boribor High School. He and his family are devastated over the killing. But he and his mother, along with his other relatives, believe justice has been served with the arrest of the suspects.
“My family and I are very sad because Rotha studied hard until grade 12 and we hoped that she would help the family financially some day because she was well educated,” Chanthy said.
He said Rotha left home for school in the morning. In the afternoon, she returned for lunch and went back to school again until 7pm. Rotha, he said, rode a motorboat to school which was about 8km from their home.
Chanthy said Rotha went to school as usual on December 3 but failed to return home. The family and villagers searched for her in the river, but she was only found the following day. The motorboat was found 500m from her body.
Military Police and family members said Rotha was hacked behind her neck, and on her face and thigh. She was not raped.
Provincial court spokesman Long Sitha could not be reached for comments.
