Banteay Meanchey provincial police arrested a wheelchair-bound
retired Royal Cambodian Armed Forces major on allegations he abused
minors in Poipet City between 2008 and 2012, police said Friday.
“On [Thursday] evening, the provincial prosecutor decided to allow us
to arrest [Major Khuon Vanna] for questioning,” provincial penal police
chief Un Sam On said.
Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court prosecutor Phann Vanrath confirmed
the major’s arrest, but said he did not know how many minors were
allegedly abused and that the suspect had not yet been charged.
“I decided to arrest him because NGOs and the victims parents’ filed a complaint with us,” Mr. Vanrath said.
Police first received reports of abuse by the suspect in 2008, but
there had not been enough evidence to pursue charges against Mr. Vanna,
who lost both legs when he stepped on a land mine more than 10 years
ago, according to representatives of two NGOs investigating the case.
Lisa Slavovsky, director of aftercare for the International Justice
Mission (IJM) in Cambodia, which investigated the alleged abuse together
with anti-pedophile NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) said that
victims have accused Mr. Vanna of abuse.
“Right now, only three victims were identified by the police,” she
said. “We expect that there were more…based on the statements by the
witnesses who have already come forward.”
“In 2010, there were already parents who came forward who also gave
testimony to police saying their children were abused,” she said.
Banteay Meanchey provincial police chief Kheng Soum and Poipet City police chief Oum Sophal declined to comment.
APLE Executive Director Samleang Seila said he believed the number of victims to be far higher than reported so far.
Write by Khmer 2days
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