Posted on 19 January 2010
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 648
“Phnom Penh: Rape is, according to the law, as a serious crime – perpetrators and colluders can be jailed up to 20 years and they will also be fined. How did the situation of rape change in 2009 in Cambodia?
“End Child Prostitution, Abuse, and Trafficking in Cambodia (ECPAT) published figures of rape, of sex trafficking, and of debauchery based on reports in five local newspapers: Koh Santepheap, Rasmei Kampuchea, Kampuchea Thmey, the Cambodia Daily, and the Phnom Penh Post-vp, where there were 322 cases of rape reported. The number increased by 16.77% compared to 2008, where there had been only 268 cases, and by 6.52% compared to 2007, where there had been 301 cases. The 332 cases victimized 337 persons, among whom 202 were underage girls and 2 were boys. Most of the victims were Khmers, but there were also Vietnamese, Cambodian Muslims, and Australians. It should be noted that gang rapes [when two or more men rape one girl] increased to 29 cases – in each case theree were 2 to 7 perpetrators involved, and 5 victims were killed after they had been raped.
“ECPAT Cambodia added that these rape cases were committed by 381 perpetrators where one was a woman. Besides Khmer perpetrators, there were also Khmer Muslims, Thais, Vietnamese, and Koreans. 317 of them were arrested, and 235 were sent to courts. 47 escaped and 2 others were not arrested. Among all cases, 66 are still under further investigation by local authorities, in 2 cases the perpetrators were released, and 1 case was solved out of the court system. There were only 6 cases reported where perpetrators were convicted to serve 3 to 20 years in prison, and they were ordered to compensate the victims or the victim’s families with US$1,000 to US$2,500. If we look at the relation between perpetrators and underage victims, it is found that 143 children were raped by their neighbors or persons they know, 27 were raped by their fathers, step fathers, or adopted fathers, 16 were raped by other relatives, and 2 were raped by their teachers.
“The provinces and cities with most rape cases were Battambang with 61 cases, Phnom Penh with 42 cases, Kandal with 30 cases, Banteay Meanchey with 26 cases, Pursat with 25 cases, Kompong Cham with 24 cases, and Kompong Speu and Takeo both with 17 cases. Some factors were found triggering these cases, which include: perpetrators had easy opportunities [to commit rape], victims stayed or went somewhere alone with the perpetrators, or they attend celebrations at night, victims were asleep or having a bath, and in other cases the perpetrators were heavily drunk, or had prepared their plans in advance, or they had frequently watched pornographic movies.
“Based on the above figures, law enforcement by the relevant authorities, especially the courts, remained limited, as giving impunity to perpetrators continued, and this was also because the publication of laws by different relevant institutions was not yet done intensively, and there was carelessness of victims and of the victims’ parents.
“Also, there were 7 cases of sex trafficking (compared to 2008, there were 17 cases and 2007, there were 16 cases) which resulted in 11 victims where 7 of them were underage and one was Vietnamese. Those cases involved 15 perpetrators where 3 were women: 2 Koreans and 1 Chinese. 1 perpetrator was the victim’s friend, and the other was committed by an acquaintance. 13 of the perpetrators were arrested, 5 cases were sent to the courts, 1 escaped, and 2 other cases are under further investigations by the local authorities. Sex trafficking occurred in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Pailin, Takeo, and Banteay Meanchey. There are no report about how the perpetrators were prosecuted.
“In 2009, there were also 18 cases of debauchery with children, involving 24 victims. Among them, only 1 was not underage, 4 were boys, and 1 was Vietnamese. These cases were committed by 18 perpetrators, where 4 were Khmers, 3 French, 2 Canadians, 2 Americans, 1 English, 1 Swiss, 1 Thai, 1 Danish, 1 Israeli, and 1 Greek. Most of them were tourists, but there were also teachers among them, and a foreign monk. 17 of them were arrested and sent to court, and 1 escaped. There were 3 cases brought for hearings where the perpetrators were sentenced to serve 1 to 5 years in prison, and they were ordered to compensate the victims with US$1,000 to US$2,500. 9 of those cases happened in Phnom Penh, 2 cases in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Banteay Meanchey each, and 1 case in Battambang, Kandal, and Koh Kong.
“ECPAT Cambodia noticed that rape in Cambodia continued to occur at a worrying and high level, and most victims were underage, especially in the case of rape. The number of cases brought to be heard at the courts was not so high, simply because of out of court arrangements. ECPAT Cambodia and other related organizations appealed to law enforcement institutions, especially to the police and to court officials, to strengthen and to ensure effective law enforcement. Education about the laws and other related topics should be extended. Also, parents should raise the notion of carefulness with their children, especially with underage girls and other vulnerable groups, not leaving them alone in whatever circumstances.”
Koh Santepheap, Vol.43, #6860, 18.1.2010
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Monday, 18 January 2010
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