A/66/44
Sexual violence, including rape
(21) The Committee expresses its serious concern that, according to the State party’s
Neary Rattanak III Five Year Strategic Plan 2009–2013, violence against women remains
widely prevalent in Cambodia with indications of increasing incidence of at least some
forms of gender-based violence, particularly rape. The Committee is also concerned at
reports from non-governmental sources about a growing number of rape reports, including
against very young girls and gang rapes, that sexual violence and abuse particularly affect
the poor, that women and children who are victims of such violence have limited access to
justice, and that there is an acute lack of medical services and psychosocial support to such
victims (arts. 1, 2, 4, 11, 13 and 16).
The State party should take effective measures to prevent and combat sexual violence
and abuse against women and children, including rape. To this end, the State party
should establish and promote an effective mechanism for receiving complaints of
sexual violence and investigate such complaints, providing victims with psychological
and medical protection as well as access to redress, including compensation and
rehabilitation, as appropriate. The Committee requests the State party to provide
statistics on the number of complaints of rape as well as information on investigations,
prosecutions and convictions in such cases.
Human trafficking
(22) The Committee welcomes the information provided by the delegation on measures
taken to repatriate and protect persons subjected to trafficking, the adoption, in 2008, of
anti-trafficking legislation and the Second National Plan on Human Trafficking and Sex
Trafficking, 2006–2010, the activities of the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and
Juvenile Protection of the Ministry of Interior as well as other legislative, administrative
and police measures to combat trafficking. However, the Committee notes with serious
concern reports that a high number of women and children continue to be trafficked from,
through and within the country for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. The
Committee is also concerned at the lack of statistics provided by the State party, including
the number of complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators of
trafficking, and the lack on information on practical measures adopted to prevent and
combat such phenomena, including medical, social and rehabilitative measures (arts. 1, 2,
4, 12 and 16).
The State party should intensify its efforts to prevent and combat trafficking in
human beings, especially women and children, including by implementing the antitrafficking legislation, providing protection for victims and ensuring their access to
medical, social, rehabilitative and legal services, including counselling services, as
appropriate. The State party should also create adequate conditions for victims to
exercise their right to make complaints, conduct prompt, impartial and effective
investigations into all allegations of trafficking and ensure that those who are found
guilty of such crimes are punished with penalties appropriate to the nature of their
crimes.
Children in detention
(23) The Committee welcomes the efforts made by the State party to reform its juvenile
justice system, including the draft juvenile justice law and the establishment, in 2006, of an
inter-ministerial working group on child justice. However, the Committee expresses its
concern at reports of a high number of children in detention, and at the lack of alternatives
to imprisonment. The Committee is also concerned that children are not always separated
from adults in detention facilities (arts. 2, 11 and 16).
GE.11-45568
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