Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Police Do Not Deserve Immunity When They Shoot Innocent People

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Letter to the Editor
The Cambodia Daily


It is disgusting to hear of another case of immunity in Cambodia. It was reported that a policeman who shot an innocent person has not been charged but is instead returning to duty as he is said to be "a good police officer" ("Payment Clears Police Officer of Man's Killing," Saturday and Sunday, page 3).

Killing a person is either murder, the punishment for which is between 10 to 15 years in prison, or voluntary manslaughter, for which the punishment is eight to 15 years in prison.

With enough evidence of a crime, prosecution must start regardless of the will of the family of the dead. Negotiation about the settlement of the case has nothing to do with the prosecution, according to Article 7 of the Law on the Criminal Procedure.

It is a serious negligence of the police and the prosecution if they do not take any action in this case. Cambodian authorities should investigate the case again and start prosecution.

Nakagawa Kasumi,
PhnomPenh

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