Police chief’s sexual abuse case not ‘crime’

[geovalin]

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the complaint filed by women police officers against Kampong Thom police chief Ouk Kosal over sexual harassment did not carry a criminal offence as the complaint concerned administrative work.

 

Sopheak told The Post on Wednesday that the ministry had formally decided to demote Kosal from major general to colonel.

 

He stressed that Kosal’s case didn’t carry a criminal offence because the victims didn’t file a criminal complaint against him.

 

read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/police-chiefs-sexual-abuse-case-not-crime

[soalbundy]

I should hope not, that would be the thin edge of the wedge.

[mrfill]

49 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I should hope not, that would be the thin edge of the wedge.

Oh, has he got a wedge shaped one then?....

[Tarteso]

Different yardsticks and double standard works in Thailand ????

[tandor]

..any decent prosecutor Im sure could 'encourage' at least one of the women to make a formal complaint.

[ThailandRyan]

As usual, you just can not make this sheer jack<deleted> BS excuse up anywhere but in the Land of Shame.

[spidermike007]

Few will miss one of the 2,200 plus generals here. Does that designation have any real meaning? 

[how241]

I am guessing that he was guilty  or they wouldn't have demoted him. 

[digger70]

9 hours ago, geovalin said:

He stressed that Kosal’s case didn’t carry a criminal offence because the victims didn’t file a criminal complaint against him.

Now this is a Beauty ,If one doesn't file a criminal complaint it's Not a Crime Right? .

How does that work if someone Kills a person? the victim Is Dead and Can't File a criminal complaint Right?  What happens than?  What a load of Cr@p , What a Maggot .

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, digger70 said:

Now this is a Beauty ,If one doesn't file a criminal complaint it's Not a Crime Right? .

How does that work if someone Kills a person? the victim Is Dead and Can't File a criminal complaint Right?  What happens than?  What a load of Cr@p , What a Maggot .

Serious crime is prosecuted by the state , no need for anyone to make a complaint , non serious crimes are only investigated and prosecuted if someone makes a compliant .

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

As usual, you just can not make this sheer jack<deleted> BS excuse up anywhere but in the Land of Shame.

Methinks this report is out of Cambodia.......

[ChipButty]

Using his position of power was the only power he had

[rkidlad]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

Serious crime is prosecuted by the state , no need for anyone to make a complaint , non serious crimes are only investigated and prosecuted if someone makes a compliant .

Sexual assault not serious? 

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, rkidlad said:

Sexual assault not serious? 

It would need a complaint to press charges and investigate 

[rkidlad]

2 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

It would need a complaint to press charges and investigate 

In the words of an echo, "sexual assault not serious?"

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

In the words of an echo, "sexual assault not serious?"

Not as serious as murder or armed robbery when the police would prosecute without a complaint being made 

[rkidlad]

4 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Not as serious as murder or armed robbery when the police would prosecute without a complaint being made 

That's nice, but I'm not comparing the severity of crimes.

 

Is sexual assault not a serious crime? 

[Sujo]

14 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

That's nice, but I'm not comparing the severity of crimes.

 

Is sexual assault not a serious crime? 

It is, in the western world you dont need a complaint at all, if there is a crime the prosecutor can charge, if the victim wont be compliant then they are subpoenad to give evidence and cannalso be charged.

[LukKrueng]

6 hours ago, Tarteso said:

Different yardsticks and double standard works in Thailand ????

 

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

As usual, you just can not make this sheer jack<deleted> BS excuse up anywhere but in the Land of Shame.

Umm, this is about Cambodia. 

[Penicillin]

7 hours ago, tandor said:

..any decent prosecutor Im sure could 'encourage' at least one of the women to make a formal complaint.

A “decent“ prosecutor wouldn’t do that. They take cases assigned to them and don’t encourage anyone to file complaints. 

[kensawadee]

6 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Methinks this report is out of Cambodia.......

Me thinks YOU are right............ Since the article is from the Cambodian Newspaper...........

Edited to add:  But in actuality it is no different in Thailand...

Edited September 10, 2020 by kensawadee
add a line

[geovalin]

Cambodia police chief sacked over sexual misconduct in landmark case

 

PHNOM PENH (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A high-ranking Cambodian police official has been sacked over sexual misconduct at work in a landmark case in the Southeast Asian nation but will not be prosecution to “protect the dignity” of the women involved, a police official said.

 

Two-star general and Kampong Thom provincial police chief Ouk Kosal was suspended last month pending an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct made by four junior female officers that hit the headlines.

 

In a rare public outing of sexual misconduct by an official, he was accused of forcing the female officers to perform sex acts at work under the threat of blocking their careers.

 

A deputy national police chief Pen Vibol, who led the investigation, said Kosal had been sacked and would be demoted to the rank of colonel.

 

But he said the female officers had chosen to not press criminal charges of sexual assault, which is punishable by up to three years jail, prompting calls for the government to do so.

 

“This is an unprecedented case where, instead of asking our female police officers to be cautious, we need to strengthen the ethics among leaders of our police units,” Vibol told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

“The fact that they became victims is embarrassing enough. They are satisfied ... that justice has been delivered and they can return to work and restore their dignity.”

 

National police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said there was insufficient evidence to build a criminal case against Kosal, who has maintained that he is innocent.

 

The women officers and Kosal could not be reached.

 

Pradeep Wagle, Cambodia representative for the Office of the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Cambodia was obliged under international law to conduct a full and credible investigation and hold Kosal accountable.

 

The case hit headlines during an escalating public debate over the treatment of women in Cambodia, where a draft law to restrict what women can wear has raised concerns of further entrenching a culture of victim blaming in sex crimes.

 

The accusers said in a report to Interior Minister Sar Kheng that previous complaints about Kosal’s misconduct had been met with ridicule and threats and it was only when their accusations hit the press that action was taken.

 

Women rights’ campaigners criticised the Interior Ministry’s decision to not pursue charges against Kosal.

 

“(This) sends the disturbing message that sexual assault and harassment is tolerated in Cambodia,” said Chak Sopheap, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

 

“Sexual and gender-based violence cannot continue to continue to be met with impunity, as it has been for too long in this country.”

The Women’s Affairs Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Amnesty International said accountability for sexual crimes “remains elusive in Cambodia”, adding it was typical for officials to return to top positions when media attention ended.

 

“This is PR, not accountability,” a spokesman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

Last year, the United Nations highlighted social norms in Cambodia that “justify gender-based violence”.

 

It called for the elimination of the chbap srey, an ancient code of conduct that was part of official school curricula until 2007 and teaches women to be submissive and quiet.

 

- -   - -    REUTERS

[ChipButty]

Something to do with the uniforms they were wearing, I know the feeling I love a woman in a uniform

[tandor]

8 hours ago, Penicillin said:

A “decent“ prosecutor wouldn’t do that. They take cases assigned to them and don’t encourage anyone to file complaints. 

really!

[scorecard]

18 hours ago, tandor said:

..any decent prosecutor Im sure could 'encourage' at least one of the women to make a formal complaint.

Plus, surely if there is absolute evidence of a crime there should be an automatic police generated charge?

[digger70]

17 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Serious crime is prosecuted by the state , no need for anyone to make a complaint , non serious crimes are only investigated and prosecuted if someone makes a compliant .

So you're saying that Sexual Assault isn't a Serious Crime? 

So You agree with  that Maggot  ? ????

We will wait and  see (Satan Forbids )what you will say if this happens to one of your Female Family members . 

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, digger70 said:

So you're saying that Sexual Assault isn't a Serious Crime? 

So You agree with  that Maggot  ? ????

We will wait and  see (Satan Forbids )what you will say if this happens to one of your Female Family members . 

I did mean in regards to prosecution , the authorities will prosecute serious crimes like murder and arson without a complaint being made , but less serious crimes would need a complainant  

[digger70]

10 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

I did mean in regards to prosecution , the authorities will prosecute serious crimes like murder and arson without a complaint being made , but less serious crimes would need a complainant  

Your still leaving out that sexual assault is a Serious Crime .What In the name Of Satan is Wrong with those People . Just leave all the rapists and Other Rock Spiders lose on the Public Cause they Say /think that the crime isn't Serious ?

Sometimes the Victims Can't /Make a Complaint . 

They are To Scared/Not Capable.

There's Only one way to Deal with them. Stop them from Stealing (Breathing) Our precious Oxygen.

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Your still leaving out that sexual assault is a Serious Crime .What In the name Of Satan is Wrong with those People . Just leave all the rapists and Other Rock Spiders lose on the Public Cause they Say /think that the crime isn't Serious ?

Sometimes the Victims Can't /Make a Complaint . 

They are To Scared/Not Capable.

There's Only one way to Deal with them. Stop them from Stealing (Breathing) Our precious Oxygen.

These days though , "sexual abuse" can be telling a female that she looks pretty today 

This story doesnt state what the actual abuse was , may have just be verbal ?

[digger70]

9 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

These days though , "sexual abuse" can be telling a female that she looks pretty today 

This story doesnt state what the actual abuse was , may have just be verbal ?

Maybe ,But Someone there thinks that this is Serious.

 

Police chief’s sexual abuse case not ‘crime’

Mom Kunthear | Publication date 09 September 2020 | 21:17 ICT

 

Former Kampong Thom police chief Ouk Kosal before he was demoted from major general to colonel over sexual harassment. Supplied

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the complaint filed by women police officers against Kampong Thom police chief Ouk Kosal over sexual harassment did not carry a criminal offence as the complaint concerned administrative work.

Sopheak told The Post on Wednesday that the ministry had formally decided to demote Kosal from major general to colonel.

He stressed that Kosal’s case didn’t carry a criminal offence because the victims didn’t file a criminal complaint against him.

“The victims only filed a complaint about administrative work. The ministry issued a letter demoting him. I think the punishment is appropriate as the offence is serious,” Sopheak said.

He said demotions always drew criticisms and that it was normal. The Kampong Thom police chief’s position will be assumed by Men Ly, the former police chief of Oddar Meanchey province.

Cambodian Centre for Human Rights executive director Chak Sopheap said in a Facebook post that providing the result of an investigation by the Ministry of Interior had shown transparency and that it had paid greater attention to sexual harassment of subordinate staff.

However, she said the fact that the ministry had just demoted Kosal and did not take further legal action meant it failed to obtain a judicial solution. This, she said, sent a message to the offender that he will get away from the law for his abusive activities.

“Dignity and honour of the victims can be protected by court procedure. Otherwise, it means that all cases of sexual harassment will not be sent to court or get justice for the victims because there are no mechanisms to protect them,” she said.

Gender and Development in Cambodia executive director Ros Sopheap said getting only a demotion was not enough because it showed the decline in standards of social morality.

“Paying attention to upholding social morality is not enough. The person who commits such offences will not learn a lesson. I think before the women decided to file their complaint, it [sexual harassment] happened several times.

“So, the ministry should continue to follow procedures in order that the victims get justice, and gain the confidence of the top leadership,” she said.

Sopheap also urged the Ministry of Women’s Affairs which has a crucial role in legal protection to check on the case because the victims are women.