PHNOM PENH: While killings fuelled by superstitious beliefs have declined with the rise of public education, a tragic case occurred in Kampong Speu province this week.
Provincial authorities reported that on the night of March 4, a premeditated murder involving a billhook (a long-handled knife) occurred in Prey Sya village, Saen Dei commune, Samraong Tong district. The victim was identified as 56-year-old Pov Khon.
According to provincial police, Khon and her husband, Soeun Khum, 54, were at home. At around 8pm, the husband went to bathe behind the house while his wife sat under the house looking at her phone. Shortly after, Khum heard his wife screaming in pain.
“I stepped out of the bathroom and saw a man wearing jeans and a long-sleeved reddish shirt, chasing my wife with a billhook. I tried to help. My wife ran toward our daughter’s house to the north for help, but the gate was locked from the inside.
“I grabbed the suspect’s arm, but he shook me off and continued to stab my wife several times until she fell dead in the road in front of our home,” Khum was quoted as telling the police.
He added that the suspect fled the scene.
The Kampong Speu criminal police section announced that they arrested a 28-year-old suspect, a truck driver and neighbour of the victim. Among the evidence discovered were a billhook and clothing which matched the description of the killer.
According to authorities, the suspect confessed to killing the victim, accusing her of practicing sorcery.
Sorcery-related murders continue to occur frequently in Cambodia. Social observers note that killing based on mere suspicion is a tragic waste of life; the victim dies, and the perpetrator faces life imprisonment, all stemming from nothing more than personal doubt.
Chhort Bunthang, an expert in education and culture and a professor of philosophy at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, stated that while having beliefs in sorcery or other superstitions is a personal freedom, citizens must use reason — and especially ensure that such beliefs do not turn them into criminals.
“We cannot simply kill someone because we suspect them of practicing sorcery or black magic. Our thoughts, suspicions or beliefs are personal matters. Even if we suspect someone is a thief or a murderer, we cannot go and kill them ourselves. Legally, if we have evidence that someone is a criminal, we must report it to the authorities,” he explained.
He added that there is no law under which one can sue a suspect for practicing sorcery in court. If one kills someone based only on the suspicion of sorcery, the law will not excuse it; the perpetrator will face severe punishment, potentially life imprisonment, depending on the charges and the court’s findings.
“From my observation, there have been many cases where accusations of sorcery or magic led to violence and murder, and the perpetrators always end up in prison. So why do these cases keep happening? People should reflect so that mere suspicion doesn't land them in prison and lead to the death of the person they suspect. This is not something we should allow to continue to happen in our society,” he said. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
