A man described as a “serial rapist” by police has been arrested in Preah Vihear province, with at least three children coming forward with accusations of abuse.
The man, 67, was arrested on Saturday and is “a known figure in the community”, according to James McCabe of the NGO Child Protection Unit. McCabe declined to name the alleged perpetrator to protect the identity of the victims.
The suspect has been charged with two counts of rape, of one 11-year-old and one 12-year-old, while an additional 10-year-old victim came forward yesterday.
“Taskforce Alpha 18 believes there are going to be more victims, and we’ve identified at least three more at this stage,” McCabe said.
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The suspect’s alleged abuses are believed to span two communes.
Preah Vihear Deputy Provincial Police Chief Prang Thida said the 11-year-old victim had endured repeated abuse since 2016.
“She hid the rape from her parents because the suspect threatened her. But because she missed school, a teacher came to her home to talk with her and she told her teacher,” Thida said.
