Official busted for beating girlfriend

A screenshot of a grainy CCTV video that appears to show Social Affairs Ministry official Plong Pisith (white shirt) brutally assaulting a woman (black shirt, on ground) at a local restaurant. Photo supplied

Mon, 9 October 2017

Niem Chheng

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A Social Affairs Ministry official was charged on Saturday with “intentional violence” for allegedly brutally beating his girlfriend at a restaurant last month. He was not arrested until Friday.

Court spokesman Y Rin said Plong Pisith, 34, deputy head of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation, was charged and placed in custody on Saturday. Bun Satya, head of the municipal police’s minor crimes office, said the dispute occurred over money the woman gave Pisith to process documents for her.

Plong Pisith, 34, who served as the Deputy Director of Housing Department for the Social Affairs Ministry, was arrested for beating up a woman last month. Facebook

“It was not him who would be the broker, but he took the money from the woman in order to give to a broker. But the work did not happen and then the quarrel and fighting broke out,” he said, keeping the victim’s name confidential.

A video of the beating surfaced on Facebook this weekend, showing a man authorities believe to be Pisith punching the woman in the face, grabbing her by the hair and flinging her to the ground at a Sen Sok district restaurant in the capital.

The fight then moves outside, where Pisith continues to hit the woman, with two of his companions watching nearby. They are now being investigated as well, according to Satya.

Social Affairs Ministry spokesman Toch Channy said he was aware of the case but that it was a personal matter.

Sar Sinaet, deputy director at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ Legal Department, said the ministry could help the victim file a complaint if she were poor, or if she were in need of mental health care, but beyond that there was little the ministry can do except to raise awareness of such cases.