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13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:32 am
by CEOCambodiaNews
Cambodia News, Phnom Penh: The family of missing schoolgirl Channee Weightman Kim have appealed for news on social and online media. She was last seen by her family when she left for school on the morning of 3 February. If you see her, contact police or the CPU.
February 15, 2020
Family of missing Khmer-American girl calls for support in the search
The family of a young Khmer-American girl who was reported missing said they will not give up the search, calling for support from the public to help find her.
The missing girl, Channee Weightman Kim, 13, a Cambodian with US citizenship was last seen leaving her home premises in Phnom Penh at about 8am on the 3rd of February, according to her father Wayne Weightman during an interview with Khmer Times on Friday.
“My wife and I last saw Channee in the morning preparing for school as usual but for some reason she never arrived for class and did not return home. She has never been away from her family before so we knew something was very wrong,” he said.
Mr Weightman and his wife Kim Sopheap said they have legally adopted four Cambodian children and Channee became part of the family since she was four.
“We desperately need help finding Channee. It’s getting close to two weeks with no contact. She may have been abducted. We fear the worst and hope for the best,” he added.
The family was not entirely clear what happened on that day when Channee took a rickshaw to school as she normally did. However, various information, they received, suggested that Channee might have travelled to Poipet, Battambang or Siem Reap the same day she disappeared.
Mr Weightman noted that his daughter has a learning disability and difficulty with numbers, adding that the only time they ever travel was together as family.
“Channee is very timid and does not know how to travel long distances without mom or dad. We’re concerned somebody may have frightened or forced her into a vehicle or tricked her to get into a car or bus,” he said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50691478/f ... the-search
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 3:36 am
by Username Taken
FOUND
Wayne Weightman
5 mins ·
UPDATE #FindChannee - DAY 15
The police recovered my daughter in Thailand. We are very grateful. It’s a miracle. Thank you all.
Our family got to talk with Channee on a video call tonight.
She wants to come to her family but I was told that because she was smuggled in, the police say they need to deport her and that will take time. We hope not.
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:12 am
by Username Taken
As the father of a similar aged girl, this raises a number of questions.
Was she abducted or running away from home?
How does a 13 year old illegally cross an international border?
Who helped her and what was their motivation?
Was she aware of what can happen to 13 year old girls running away from home in SEA?
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:24 am
by Yerg
Oh My God. That poor family. So many questions. Glad she is in one piece.
Username, those are fair questions that might be answered when the kid gets home.
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:13 am
by rozzieoz
I hope the guy with the 11 year old daughter is following this story.
It could be as simple as the child chatting to someone online, thinking they are also 11.
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:17 am
by GMJS-CEO
Looking at the videos posted by the father it seems like he was trying to convince her not to listen to what some other person was telling her and it was OK to come home. Leads me to believe she wasn’t kidnapped forcibly but rather tricked.
Either way glad she’s found
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:44 am
by Anchor Moy
Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:12 am
As the father of a similar aged girl, this raises a number of questions.
Was she abducted or running away from home?
How does a 13 year old illegally cross an international border?
Who helped her and what was their motivation?
Was she aware of what can happen to 13 year old girls running away from home in SEA?
They say that the girl entered Thailand illegally, so there were definitely some adults involved in some sort of child trafficking. Her parents said that she has never traveled without her parents, and she's only 13. Every parent's nightmare.
However, one small niggle in my mind was that the facebook announcement about the girl led to a lot of comments about people praying. It might not be relevant, but it's also possible that the parents might be strict religious fundies and she was running away from home.
Anyway, it's fantastic news that she's been found.
Re: 13-Year-Old Khmer-American Schoolgirl Missing for 2 Weeks (FOUND)
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 9:07 am
by hiway5
It is not so difficult for someone like that to just cross the border. On the Thai side they would just think she was a Luk khrueng, a Thai of mixed race and she would be able to speak English.