Violent Crimes Increasing in Cambodia

Lay Sopheavotey and Phoung Vantha 20/01/2021 5:35 PM

Economic, social and familial stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic is reportedly to blame, but solutions—particularly in terms of gun control—seem far off.
PHNOM PENH--The number of violent crimes increased significantly in 2020, with murders, suicides and weapons-based violence all rising in Cambodia. The severity of the crimes, it appears, also escalated with financial difficulties, unaddressed mental health issues and substance abuse linked to many cases.

A consistent factor throughout these crimes was that the perpetrators were men, often killing wives, daughters, lovers and then finally themselves. Other trends that emerged were that the killings seemed to be becoming bolder involving the use of firearms.

On Dec. 30, 2020, a suspect shot and killed the deputy-chief of the Minor Criminal Bureau following a traffic accident.

Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman, San Sok Seiha said that gun control is the same as in other countries, there still gaps.

“Some of the suspects were punished and some of them were sent to court,” he said.

In the first eight months of 2020, there were a total of 2,418 criminal offenses, but more than 700 cases of violence occurred, Chhay Kim Khoeun, spokesman of the National Police, confirmed.

Whether stemming from traffic accidents, family issues or money troubles, experts and social analysts have urged the government to pay more attention to mental health issues.

They added that other stakeholders should take part in campaigns to address mental health and alcohol consumption.

Pa Chanroeun, whose doctorate focused on social, political and moral philosophy, said that there are key factors that could explain the recent spate of violence and killings. These include the lack of mental health services available to people, the acceptability of violence among society, the ongoing economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with alcohol and drug consumption.

Chanroeun warned that these issues have been exacerbated over the last the year due to uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and has led to a loss of self-control.
https://cambodianess.com/article/violen ... n-cambodia

Johno35 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:58 pm I’d expect no different outcome.

Losing my job and all income and being locked down 24/7 with a Khmer wife who berated me for not having enough money would drive me to drinking too. No doubt my wife would not appreciate me spending the last of the families riel on beer so she’d prob cut off all sex. Might at well go shag a bird at the KTV since the wife isn’t putting out. That will just make her more disconnected and bitter towards me. The micro finance bills, electricity bills, and rent still keep coming. I can’t take it anymore.

And the final straw would be going out to buy a BBQ duck and the guy selling the last one to someone else.

He explained that everyone suffers from emotional or psychological crises to some extent or another, but most do not reach the point of developing a psychiatric disorder. However, he added, those problems can fester into something worse when drugs and alcohol are involved. This addition of intoxicants, Sithol warned, tends to deepen financial difficulties, which perpetuates a cycle of destruction and distress.

Quite an astute individual. I've noticed an uptick in reports of family violence over the past year, I didn't want to jump to any conclusions because the papers used to filled with reports of grenade attacks and pointless murders.