‘Virgin’ victim complicates rape case

Photo by: Pha Lina

Sous Virak, who has been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl, is led into Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court yesterday ordered the reinvestigation of the case against a 20-year-old Cambodian man who has been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl, citing a doctor’s report indicating that the alleged victim’s hymen was undamaged.

Sous Virak was arrested on November 22 of last year at a guesthouse near Central Market in Daun Penh district following a complaint submitted to municipal anti-human trafficking police by the girl’s parents, who accused him of luring her to the capital from her home in Takeo province and raping her four times.

At a hearing last month, a court clerk read out a report completed by a doctor from a referral hospital in the capital that claimed that the victim could not have been raped because her hymen was intact. The report prompted verbal sparring between lawyers for the alleged victim and the accused. Afterwards, deputy prosecutor Plang Sophal said he intended to have judges lift the charges against Sous Virak.

Instead, Judge Ke Sakhan announced yesterday that the case would be reinvestigated... read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

Photo by: Pha Lina Sous Virak, who has been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl, is led into Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday. PHNOM Penh Municipal Court yesterday ordered the reinvestigation of the case against a 20-year-old Cambodian man who has been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl, citing a doctor’s report indicating that the alleged victim’s hymen was undamaged. Sous Virak was arrested on November 22 of last year at a guesthouse near Central Market in Daun Penh district following a complaint submitted to municipal anti-human trafficking police by the girl’s parents, who accused him of luring her to the capital from her home in Takeo province and raping her four times. At a hearing last month, a court clerk read out a report completed by a doctor from a referral hospital in the capital that claimed that the victim could not have been raped because her hymen was intact. The report prompted verbal sparring between lawyers for the alleged victim and the accused. Afterwards, deputy prosecutor Plang Sophal said he intended to have judges lift the charges against Sous Virak. Instead, Judge Ke Sakhan announced yesterday that the case would be reinvestigated... read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.