B’bang man attempted to rape, set wife ablaze

The Battambang Provincial Court charged a man yesterday after he allegedly attempted to rape his pregnant wife and light her on fire on Monday evening in Battambang town’s Svay Por commune, a senior military police official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Sam Vilong, deputy commander of the Battambang provincial military police, said that Ngam Sokhom, 36, was charged by the court’s prosecutor with rape with aggravating circumstances.

The charge encompasses previous allegations of rape, the most recent attempted – but unsuccessful – assault, and the claim that he poured a litre of gasoline over his wife and threatened to burn her alive on Monday when she refused his advances.

“He is a drunkard and a drug addict. When he got drunk, he always beat his pregnant wife and made her have sex with him although she was not well or sick,” Vilong said. “Every time when the victim denied having sex with him, he has always beaten and forcibly raped her. And during sexual activities with his wife, he has always taken his mobile phone to photograph her naked in order to use them to threaten her when she denied having sex with him.”

Vilong said that Sokhom was arrested on Tuesday based on a complaint from his 29-year-old wife, who is five months' pregnant.

He added that according to the Cambodian penal code, if found guilty the defendant could face up to seven years in prison.

Captain Seng Phirum, deputy commander of Battambang town district military police, said that according to the complaint, the two were married three years ago.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bbang-man-attempted-rape-set-wife-ablaze