Guidance

Cambodia: information for survivors of rape and sexual assault

Updated 16 June 2023

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals in Cambodia make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention
• report the assault to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault abroad

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

Note that police and legal procedures in Cambodia will be different to those you may expect in the UK.

First steps

It is your choice what you do next but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the emergency number on 117
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British Embassy in Phnom Penh on 061 300 011 or 061 300 012. Embassy staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish

If you want to report the incident to the police in Cambodia

Filing a report with the police is your choice.

If you choose to report the incident in Cambodia, you should call the Criminal Investigation Police, who are based at Provincial Police Headquarters (telephone numbers listed below), or go to the nearest Provincial Police Headquarters as soon as possible. Be aware that Cambodian police officers may have limited English language skills and that they may sometimes ask for a fee in order to file a complaint (this is illegal).

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If not, and if it is possible, the British Embassy will try to send a member of consular staff to support you depending on your location and timing, however, you will always be able to speak to a trained officer on the telephone, 24/7, by calling 061 300 011 or 061 300 012.

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the British Embassy on 061 300 011 or 061 300 012, and they can offer you consular support.

Neither extramarital sex, nor homosexuality are crimes in Cambodia. However, police are not specifically trained to deal with victims of rape or sexual assault and they are unlikely to handle the matter sympathetically.

Local police officers may not speak English. You may have to wait for an English-speaking officer or an interpreter to arrive at the police station before you can give a statement. If a Khmer-speaking member of Embassy consular staff is able to accompany you to the police station, they can provide an unofficial translation.

There may not be a female officer available at the police station. Consular staff can help in trying to request a female, English-speaking officer in advance, but we cannot guarantee this request will be met. Alternatively you can do this yourself or ask your lawyer, if you have one, to request a female officer on your behalf.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained.

Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve potential evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, texts or social media messages.

If you feel able to do so, write down what happened during the assault and take notes with you to the police station. You can keep a copy for your own records.

At the police station

The police will ask you to provide a statement, which will be used as evidence at any trial. You will be asked to give as much information/evidence as possible, including:

• a description of the attacker(s)
• if there was sexual intercourse (if yes, was it forceful?)
• if you have sustained any injuries
• a description of the crime, for example the date and time of the incident, the location, etc

You, and anyone who provides a statement on your behalf, will be required to sign the statement(s) and provide a thumbprint impression.

Ask for a police report. You should request a translated copy in English, but this is unlikely to be provided by the Cambodian police; you will need to consult a local translation company for this (see our list of translators and interpreters in Cambodia).

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged.

The police may retain the clothing you were wearing at the time of the attack to be used as evidence in court. They may want to make records of texts or social media messages. It is unlikely, but not impossible, that they will want to keep your mobile telephone.

You will not be required to surrender your passport. The police will ask for your passport as confirmation of your identity, but they will not retain it.

The police may take pictures of places of your body where there is evidence of violence, such as bruises or cuts. Do not be surprised if the police officer uses their personal telephone to take pictures.

You may wish to think about how this makes you feel, and whether you are willing to have these images stored on an individual’s telephone.

There is a risk the police may publish photographs without your consent on their official social media channels in order to publicise their work to the general public. They may sometimes ‘blur’ faces in the pictures, but not always. As a foreigner, you may be unaware that your image has been shared publicly like this.

You do have the right to refuse to have any photographs of you taken.

Provincial Police Headquarters telephone numbers

Location	Number
Banteay Meanchey	097 778 0017
Battambang	097 778 0014
Kampong Cham	097 778 0003
Kampong Chnang	097 778 016
Kampong Speu	097 778 0018
Kampong Thom	097 778 0012
Kampot	097 778 0010
Kandal	097 778 0004
Kep	097 778 0011
Koh Kong	097 778 0009
Kratie	097 778 0020
Mondulkiri	097 778 0022
Odor Meanchey	097 778 0024
Pailin	097 778 0025
Phnom Penh	097 778 0002
Preah Sihanouk	097 778 0008
Preah Vihear	097 778 0019
Prey Veaeng	097 778 0006
Pursat	097 778 0015
Ratankiri	097 778 0023
Siem Reap	097 778 0013
Steung Treng	097 778 0021
Svay Rieng	097 778 0007
Takeo	097 778 0005

After making your statement

By law, a police officer(s) should accompany you to hospital to ensure the any evidence is taken accurately and reliably. However, in reality it this is unlikely. The police will usually accept any documentation or information provided by the hospital without question.

However, if you feel safer doing so, you can request a police officer(s) accompany you.

The police may ask you to visit the scene of the crime. You can refuse to do this if it might make you uncomfortable.

The police may ask you to go with them to where the attacker might be located, but you can refuse this request.

It is possible that, if your attacker is brought to the police station, that you may be asked to make an identification. You can refuse to do this if you are not comfortable being in the same room as your attacker, and the police should allow you to make an identification by photograph.

You will not be required to remain in Cambodia if you would prefer to leave.

The police in Cambodia will not inform UK police or ask them to undertake checks on you or assist their investigation.

The police will transfer their case to the public prosecutor and, if the prosecutor accepts the complaint, the case will then be referred to the investigating judge who will conduct further investigations and interviews. The case will proceed to trial after this, only once the investigating judge is satisfied all the evidence will be available to a court.

If the case is referred for further investigation, you may be required to make an additional statement if requested by the investigating judge.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Cambodia

The British Embassy will be able to help you. This includes:

• helping you to contact your insurance company and your family
• assisting with making arrangements to travel back to the UK
• providing you with information on local support in the UK
• providing you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators

If you are travelling with one, you can also report the incident to your tour operator and ask them for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital. If you wish, and depending on location and timing, a member of consular staff may be able to accompany you.

It is your choice whether to report the crime. We cannot report this for you, but we will support you with your decision. You may wish to write down what happened so that you have your own record that you can share with the police if you want to report the assault at a later date.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

You can report the crime to police in the UK. However, UK police cannot investigate crimes committed in Cambodia. It can be very difficult to guarantee that any justice can be achieved without reporting the crime locally.

See Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

The medical examination: what to expect

Your safety and health are paramount. Even if you decide not to report what has happened to the police, you should see a doctor. They can determine if you have been injured in any way and give you advice regarding emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infections.

Cambodia is a high-risk country for sexually transmitted diseases, but has a low rate of HIV (≤1%).

A private hospital or clinic is more likely to have the HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication or emergency contraception readily available.

Medical attention is available at public hospitals, and at private clinics and hospitals, but most provincial hospitals outside the large cities are unlikely to have the capacity to conduct any type of rape or sexual assault examination. You should consider attending a private clinic in order to be properly examined and you may have to travel to a city to obtain this.

There are facilities in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampot and Kep that will conduct examinations, however not all of these clinics will be able to consistently offer PEP medication.

You don’t have to report the incident to the police to have a rape or sexual assault examination, but the process gives you the chance to store evidence should you decide to report it at a later time.

The rape or sexual assault examination should be conducted by a doctor and he or she may be assisted by a nurse, however, it cannot be guaranteed that a female doctor or nurse will be available. The examination can involve a pelvic examination, vaginal, penile, and/or anal swabs, and the taking of blood samples.

The examining doctor is required to provide a written report only, they should not need to take any photographs of you.

The examining doctor, hospital or clinic is not required to report the results of any rape or sexual assault examination to the police. They will do so only as part of any criminal investigation and if the police or public prosecutor asks them to do so.

Treatment

Treatment in Cambodia can vary, but your safety and health are paramount. Even if you decide not to report what has happened to the police, you should consider seeing a medical professional; they can determine if you have been injured in any way and give you advice about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Emergency contraception should ideally be taken within 24 hours, and no later than 72 hours, after the incident for it to be effective. No prescription or medical referral is required in Cambodia, and you can buy medication over the counter in most pharmacies.

If you have had medication administered in Cambodia, either over-the-counter or by prescription, you should keep the label, or make a note of the name of the medication so that you can let your local GP know when you return to the UK.

Please be aware that hospital treatment is not free for foreigners in Cambodia and you will be expected to pay for any treatment or tests you receive. You should speak to your insurance company about this. If you have no funds available, consular officers at the British Embassy can help you liaise with family or friends in the UK to ask that they assist you financially.

HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) medication

PEP medication must be started within 72 hours of the assault for it to be effective.

It is unlikely doctors in state-run hospitals will be familiar with PEP or be able to supply it. PEP may be available at private clinics and hospitals, but you may need to telephone ahead to check if they have PEP in stock.

PEP consists of 28 days of treatment that may reduce your risk of contracting HIV. You can continue the treatment with the NHS on your return to the UK. The treatment may not be beneficial in all cases and there may be side effects. More information on PEP is available on the NHS website.

Useful translations of treatments from English to Khmer

English	Khmer
Pregnancy and STIs, including HIV	ការមានផ្ទៃពោះ និងជំងឺកាមរោគ រួមទាំងមេរោគអេដស៍
Post-exposure prophylaxis	ថ្នាំសម្រាប់ការពារក្រោយការប៉ះពាល់ (សម្រាប់មេរោគអេដស៍)
Emergency contraception	ការពន្យាកំណើតបន្ទាន់

Hospitals and clinics in Cambodia

The following hospitals and clinics will accept payment in cash, but may not accept some, or any credit cards, or health insurance.

Some may have direct settlement agreements with selected insurance companies, but this will vary with each clinic and you should check in advance if you wish to charge costs to your insurance.

Phnom Penh

Raffles Medical Centre

161, Street 51 (Pasteur Street)

Tel: +855 (0)23 216 911 / (0)12 816 911

Email: enquiries_phnompenh@rafflesmedical.com

This private-owned hospital has English speaking staff who are experienced in dealing with foreigners. You will be able to access all the medical checks here.

Royal Phnom Penh Hospital

888, Confederation de la Russian Blvd (Street 110), Sen Sok, Phnom Penh

Tel: +855 (0)23 991 000

Email: info@royalphnompenhhospital.com

This private-owned hospital has English speaking staff who are experienced in dealing with foreigners. You will be able to access all the medical checks here.

The Bamboo Centre

17, Street 494, Phnom Penh

Tel: +855 (0)12 208 318

Email: admin@thebamboocentre.com

There are very limited mental health services in Cambodia. This private clinic provides more immediate counselling face-to-face.

The Beekeeper

Preah Ang Yukanthor Street (19), Phnom Penh

Tel: +855 (0)77 221 010

Email: info@mybeekeeper.org

This private clinic can provide more immediate counselling face-to-face for a wide range of issues including mental health issues or specialist areas of work.

Siem Reap

Royal Angkor International Hospital

Phum Kasekam, Khum Sra Ngea, National Route 6 (Airport Road), Siem Reap

Tel: +855 (0)63 761 888

Email: info@royalangkorhospital.com

This private-owned hospital has English speaking staff who are experienced in dealing with foreigners. You will be able to access all the medical checks here, however they might not have access to PEP.

Kampot & Kep

Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital (SKMH)

National Road #3, (Located 6km west of Kampot, close to the road to Bokor Mountain)

Non-emergency tel: +855 (0)77 666 752

Emergency only tel: +855 (0)78 265 782

This private-owned, not-for-profit hospital has English speaking staff and is experienced in dealing with foreigners. You will be able to access all the medical checks here, however, they might not have access to PEP.

Battambang

Handa Clinic and World Mate Emergency Hospital

National Road 5, Romchek IV, Rattanak, Battambang

Tel: +855 (0)53 952 822

Email: info@thehandafoundation.org

This private-owned, not-for-profit hospital has English speaking staff who are experience in dealing with foreigners. You will be able to access all the medical checks here, however they may not have access to PEP.

Court procedures: what to expect

The court, or your lawyer will inform you if there is going to be a trial, once the court has assessed the evidence. There is no specific timeframe for this assessment to be made, or for a trial date to be set. It may take some time for the case to come to trial, and when it does, it may be subject to several adjournments, meaning it might take place over several different days.

You will usually be expected to be present in court during the trial as the presiding judge may call you to provide oral evidence during the trial stage, or at another court hearing. For this you might be asked by the court/prosecutor to stay in the country, but there is no legal requirement for you to do so.

If you have chosen to leave Cambodia, or feel you would find being in a court room too uncomfortable, you can request, through a lawyer, for permission to provide your statement via video conferencing, or as a written statement instead.

Hiring a lawyer

It is not compulsory for you to have a lawyer and you will not be assigned a lawyer by the State. However, a lawyer will be able to guide and advise you through the judicial process, which can be long, and differs from what you might expect in the UK.

By having a lawyer, you will have legal representation working in your interests and on your behalf and who can keep you informed as the case progresses.

If you choose to leave Cambodia after making a report to the police, having a lawyer may be the only way for you to obtain updates on the progress of your case.

There are no lawyers in Cambodia who specialise in rape or sexual assault cases.

There is no legal aid available to non-Cambodians in Cambodia.

See our list of English-speaking lawyers.

Sentencing

In the event of a guilty verdict, the defendant would be guilty of a crime of sexual assault.

Sentences are weighted in favour of punishment if the defendant has been convicted for previous, or subsequent offences. Where there are no previous convictions, sentences may be weighted in favour of rehabilitation.

Sentences will usually include a fine and possibly reparation for the victim through compensation. It is the court that will decide on the level of compensation to the victim, which would be paid by the defendant. There is no state-funded compensation scheme.

When you return home to the UK

You may want to let your GP, or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice where you live.

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

Region	Organisation
England	Find Rape and Sexual Assault Referral Centres by location at NHS Search
Scotland	Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis: Helpline 08088 000014 Rape Crisis Scotland: Helpline 08088 010302
Wales	New Pathways SARC: Telephone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff SARC: Telephone 02920 335795
Northern Ireland	The Rowan SARC: Telephone 0800 389 4424

Support organisations in the UK

It is your choice to let people know what has happened to you. If you are ready to talk about it, the following organisations may be able to help you:

Samaritans

Samaritans offers a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way, about whatever’s getting to you. They listen to you and help you talk through your concerns, worries and troubles, helping you think more clearly about your options.

Tel: 116 123 (UK only)

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Survivors UK

Survivors UK supports and provides resources for men who have experienced any form of sexual violence. Their national web chat service for men and their families, partners and friends is open seven days a week and can be accessed through their website.

WhatsApp: +44 (0)7491 816 064

Tel: 020 3598 3898

Email: info@survivorsuk.org

The Havens

The Havens are specialist centres in London for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

Emergency telephone number: 020 3299 6900

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK government officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither the UK government nor any official of the consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (February 2022).