Sexual ‘healer’ charged with assault

 

 

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea  

A man accused of sexually assaulting three women faced trial at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on January 30, 2023.

 Judge Ouk Rethkunthear named the accused as Khoun Sareth, 47, a traditional healer and spiritual leader living in Prey Veng province.  The alleged sexual assaults were perpetrated against three women. All three are online cosmetics vendors. 

Sareth was charged with “sexual assault with aggravating circumstances”. If convicted, the accused faces a jail term between two and five years. 

She named the three female victims as Mao Sona, 34; Chea Hang, 20; and an unnamed 14-year-old.  The trio of women live in Dangkor commune, Phnom Penh. 

Judge Rethkunthear said that at 8:30 am on August 25, 2022, the accused, who claimed he was the traditional healer and a spiritual leader, drove a motorcycle to sell traditional medicines at the victims’ house in Dangkor commune. 



She noted that the victims invited the accused to enter their house. The victims claimed the healer told them they had unlucky moles. So, they asked him to exorcise the evil spells away from their moles, which were located on their genitals and breasts. The healer claimed they would become lucky and earn more income from their online business if he performed the rites.  

 “The accused ordered the victims to take off their clothes from their bodies. He used incense to ward off the evils on their moles. He touched their genitals and breasts,” she said. After committing the sexual assaults, the accused left the victims’ house. 

The victims later filed a lawsuit against the accused after realizing they were sexually assaulted. The accused was arrested on August 30, 2022 by the police in Dangkor district and in accordance with the three victims’ complaint.  


During his trial yesterday, Khuon Sareth, who presented at the courtroom, confessed that he had really touched the three victims’ genitals and the breasts. However, he also claimed that this was his way of healing according to the Hindu faith, and he was not aware that it violated the law.

A final verdict is due on February 9.  

 

 

 

 

 


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