Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): On July 16, 2020, at 2:10 pm, a 43-year-old woman, Leiv Bunthoeun, was arrested for attacking a 5-year-old girl in the face with a knife, in Sangkat Somrong Krom, Khan Porsenchey, Phnom Penh. The victim, who was identified as Leas Moviliya, five years old, was injured on the face.


According to the victim's family, on July 14, 2020, the suspect's son, 2 years old, came to play with the victim and some other kids. While they were playing, the 2-year-old threw a rock at the other children, then the 5-year-old girl picked up the rock and threw it back at the toddler.
Unfortunately, the rock hit and injured the little boy, and his mother took him to the hospital.

The woman was furious, and then, two days later, on July 16, the she saw the little girl was outside playing with other kids, so she took a knife from her house to slice the child's face as revenge. After that, she ran back to hide in her house.

After the incident, the 5-year-old was sent to the hospital, while the police arrested the suspect and sent her to the police station for questioning.

Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): The Trial Chamber of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on the morning of November 25, 2020, announced the verdict for defendant Liu Bunthoeun, 43 years old, in the case of a knife attack on a 5-year-old girl. The woman has been sentenced to prison for 12 years, and must pay the victim 200 million riels. The verdict leaves the right to appeal in accordance with the law if any party disagrees with the lower court's decision.

It should be noted that on the afternoon of November 17, 2020, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court opened this serious criminal case, where a woman deliberately stabbed the face and arms of a 5-year-old girl so severely that she needed more than 100 stitches. The trial was presided over by Ms. Ouk Reth Kunthea, President of the Trial Chamber, but at the end of the questioning, the President of the Trial Chamber postponed the verdict until today, November 25.

In front of the court, the female perpetrator, Liu Bunthoeun, confessed that on the afternoon of the July 16 she went to buy a knife in the market and grabbed the girl, and then stabbed her repeatedly because she had thrown stones at her son. The woman said that she could not sleep for two nights because the girl had caused her baby boy to bleed, so she wanted the girl to bleed like her child.


The victim, 5-year-old Las Mavilia, suffered serious injuries to her face, nose, neck and arms, and she will need further operations. On the morning of July 18, 2020, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court decided to charge the woman with torture and cruelty under Article 211 of the Penal Code.
Article 211 of the Penal Code states that torture and aggravated acts of aggravated assault are punishable by imprisonment from 10 to 20 years.

UPDATE: Many people have offered to help the family of the victim with medical expenses, and the little girl is now much better and appears to be healing.