Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court sentenced a 15-year-old student to three years in prison yesterday for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in the capital in January, court officials said yesterday.

Municipal Court Judge Ker Sakhorn said that Chhum Davoan was arrested by police on January 20 at his house in Tuol Kork district’s Teuk La’ak II commune and charged on January 23, after the girl’s parents filed a complaint alleging that he had raped their daughter was on January 17.

“The court has found that Chhum Davoan has really been involved and had sex with the victim as accused,” Ker Sakhorn said in his verdict yesterday. “It is decided to sentence him to three years in jail and 1 million riel (about US$245) in compensation for the victim.”

He added that Chhum Davoan had a right to appeal the verdict within a month of his conviction.

Chhum Davoan denied the charges yesterday and said that the verdict was unjust.

“I did not commit any wrongdoing against her and I did not forcibly rape her,” he said after the verdict was announced yesterday. “We were boyfriend and girlfriend and we loved each other. We both agreed to have sex with each other.”

Chhum Davoan’s father, Chhum Khun, said yesterday that his son and the girl were friends and had loved each other for years before his son was arrested and jailed.

“I think that his sentence is a little high for him because he was still young and he had not been raped the victim as accused,” he said. “I will appeal the verdict for him.”

The victim and her parents did not attend court yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

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