A man has been arrested in Kampong Speu province after brutally killing a neighbour he accused of practising black magic, reigniting concerns about superstition‑fuelled violence in Cambodia.

Police say the attack took place on Wednesday evening in Prey Sya village, Sen Dey commune. The victim, 56‑year‑old Pov Khon, was sitting at home when she was set upon with a machete. Her husband, who was bathing behind the house, rushed to intervene but was unable to save her. Khon died from multiple stab wounds before the assailant fled.

Authorities later arrested 28‑year‑old Sun Sopheak, known locally as Ching, who confessed to the killing. He told investigators he believed Khon was a witch. Officers recovered a billhook and clothing matching witness descriptions.

The case has drawn attention not only for its brutality but also for the motive. While superstition‑related killings have declined in recent years, they remain a disturbing reality in rural Cambodia. Social observers warn that suspicion alone can lead to tragedy: the victim loses her life, and the perpetrator faces life imprisonment.

Chhort Bunthang, a professor of philosophy at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, stressed that belief in sorcery is a personal matter, but it cannot justify violence. “We cannot simply kill someone because we suspect them of practising black magic,” he said. “If we suspect wrongdoing, the law requires us to report it to the authorities, not take matters into our own hands.”

Police say they are preparing charges against Sopheak, who now faces severe punishment. For many in Cambodia, the killing is a grim reminder that superstition, when unchecked, can still spill into deadly violence — and that education and vigilance remain the only way to break the cycle.

-2026-03-08

Western visitors are rarely aware of the vital relevance of this matter to local people in SE Asian countries. Here in Indonesia, it is taken quite seriously; there were multiple murders of purported sorcerers a few years ago in Banyuwangi, the port city in East Java where you take the ferry to Bali.

I personally know two expats who had been threatened (Japanese woman's bad marriage / bad divorce and abrasive loudmouthed Yorkshireman planning to ditch his wife and head off with a cutie). The woman was riding along with me in a car and laughed "My husband tells the boys that he cannot help with their school fees and I should pay them - but I know that he has already given Rp. 5 million to a dukun santet to harm me". Early 40s, slim, healthy - then her son called me up one Saturday morning and said "My mother can't wake up." One month in ICU with a massive stroke before dying. Ditto for the guy, except that he just ended up paralyzed down one side of his body. In both cases, santet was mentioned - strokes being a common result of a purported attack.

Roll the eyes, sneer and laugh it off at your own peril. Bear in mind that these societies are thousands of years old and there is much hidden knowledge and practice we are not privy to.