CAMBODIA: Phnom Penh court in Cambodia tries a British man for allegedly sexually abusing underage girls

Record ID: 532950

  • Title: CAMBODIA: Phnom Penh court in Cambodia tries a British man for allegedly sexually abusing underage girls
  • Date: 20th November 2010
  • Summary: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (NOVEMBER 19, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PHNOM PENH COURT POLICE VAN TAKING ACCUSED FOREIGNERS AND KHMERS ARRIVING AT COURT BRITISH MAN, MATTHEW JOHN HARLAND GETTING OFF POLICE VAN APLE NGO STAFF OUTSIDE COURT HOUSE PEOPLE GOING INTO COURT HOUSE PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE COURT ROOM HARLAND WALKING OUT OF COURT ROOM AND GETTING INTO POLICE VAN KHM
  • Embargoed: 5th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cambodia
  • Country: Cambodia
  • Reuters ID: LVA3U2M4IF6YI5K3AXOI4D1CJCOL
  • Story Text: Phnom Penh court in Cambodia tries a British man for allegedly sexually abusing underage girls.
    Phnom Penh court on Friday (November 19) tried a British national Matthew John Harland, 38, for allegedly sexually abusing two underage girls.
    The verdict would only be announced on December 6, said the victims' lawyer.
    The lawyer said the British national was tried under two charges, purchasing child prostitutes and performing indecent acts to the alleged victims, aged between 12 and 16.
    The first charge would carry a prison sentence of between seven to 15 years and the second charge is from one to three years.
    Harland was arrested on May 26 by the Phnom Penh anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection unit police.
    The lawyer representing the victims is from a non-governmental organisation, Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), asked the judge to punish the man according to the law and pay compensation to both victims.
    Since 2003, 148 suspected pedophiles, most foreigners, have been arrested, with 79 convictions so far, according to APLE, a French group working closely with Cambodia's police to track sex offenders.
    Among those arrested last year were Americans, Canadians, Vietnamese, South Koreans, Israelis and citizens of numerous European countries.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register