Crime in Cambodia

Cambodian police car in Phnom Penh

Crime is present in various forms in Cambodia.

Crime by type

Murder

In 2012, Cambodia had a murder rate of 6.5 per 100,000 population.[1] There were a total of 964 murders in Cambodia in 2012.[1]

Robbery

Petty crime is common, with tourist areas often targeted. This includes snatch theft and pick-pocketing. Perpetrators are usually stricken with poverty, and as a result are driven to steal from foreigners with the knowledge that they bring about a significant amount of money and other valuable items. Owing to the easy accessibility to arms, armed robbery also occurs.[2]

Corruption

Further information: Corruption in Cambodia

The rate of corruption in Cambodia is high; one source goes on to describe the situation as "nothing less than obscene". Corruption is considered a large expense to the Cambodian government.[3] The Cambodian police force is known to inappropriately use violence in certain cases.[4] The misuse of ferocity has raised concerns from the Human Rights Watch.[5]

Prostitution

Prostitution is against the law in Cambodia, but still present and only growing. Le Thi Quy, a professor from the Women's Research Center, interviewed a handful of females in 1993 about prostitution; three quarters of the interviewees found being a prostitute to be a norm and a profession they felt was not shameful having.[6] That same year, the professor estimated that there were some one hundred thousand sex workers in the country.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Global Study on Homicide. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Cambodia". travel.state.gov. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ Curtis, Grant (1998). Cambodia Reborn?: The Transition to Democracy and Development. Brookings Institution Press. pp. 147–. ISBN 9780815791379.
  4. ↑ "Protest Claims Police Brutality in Cambodian Home". 95.5 WBRU. January 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Cambodia: Escalating Violence, Misuse of Courts". Human Rights Watch. February 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Barry, Kathleen (1996). The Prostitution of Sexuality. NYU Press. pp. 137–. ISBN 9780814712771.