SISHA PARTICIPATES IN REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMBATTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
In helping to ensure greater regional collaboration to combat human trafficking, SISHA participated in Inter Country Consultative Dialogue on Combating Human Trafficking: Sharing Good Practices and Defining Regional Strategies hosted by the High Level Working Group to Combat Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labor and Sexual Commercial Exploitation (HLWG) on 6 – 7 July 2009.
SISHA chaired seminar sessions on Legal Best Practices and Possibilities for Regional Collaboration on Law Enforcement. This important conference was attended by senior Cambodian officials including Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Sar Kheng, Minister of Women’s Affairs H.E. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Social Affairs H.E. Ith Sam Heng and delegations from 5 key countries – Cambodia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand & Vietnam.
As quoted in a local Cambodian newspaper (“Regional cooperation needed to crack down on flesh trade: official”, by Christopher Shay Phnom Penh Post, 7 July 2009) Ms Nandita Baruah, the chief of party at the Asia Foundation's Counter-Trafficking in Cambodia Programme, expressed that she hoped the dialogue would encourage countries to implement the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, an agreement ratified by six ASEAN nations that aims to improve transnational law enforcement by allowing signatories to help each other obtain evidence.
Speaking to the regional audience, H.E. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women's Affairs emphasised "Individual countries acting alone cannot defeat human trafficking, and this dialogue presents an opportunity to endorse and reaffirm our commitment to work together.”
SISHA Legal Director chairing session on Possibilities for Regional Collaboration on Law Enforcement on 6 July 2009
Regional delegates attending important 2 day conference held 6 - 7 July 2009
MAXIMUM PENALTY SECURED FOR CHILD RAPIST IN CAMBODIA
In yet another successful step towards child protection and the rule of law in Cambodia, SISHA helped to secure the prosecution and conviction of a child rapist.
On 7 May 2009, at 9:30 am, a Cambodian presiding judge handed down a 15 year jail sentence for the 45 year old sex offender in a remote provincial court. On 24 April 2009, he had been found guilty and was convicted of raping his 13 year old step daughter on numerous occasions in 2007. He was sentenced to serve 15 years jail; the maximum term of imprisonment an offender can be sentenced to under the relevant law.
SISHA aided in this case by providing investigative support to police in the relevant province, which led to enough evidence being collected in order to secure the arrest of the offender on 12 September 2008. The victim was offered shelter placement referral by SISHA aftercare, but instead chose to live with her Aunty in a neighboring village. SISHA also partnered with a local legal service provider to gain legal representation for the child victim, leading to the successful court outcome.
Police preparing to arrest offender at the crime scene
Tiny child rape victim after SISHA intervention
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