By KER MUNTHIT in Phnom Penh
The Associated Press
A Spanish psychologist met Cambodia's "jungle woman" yesterday, hoping to unravel some of the mystery surrounding the woman who emerged from the forest, naked and unable to speak, from what may have been nearly two decades in the wild.
Hector Rifa, from the University of Oviedo, said his priority was to ensure she was receiving proper treatment for whatever trauma she has had.
However, he may also find clues as to whether she is indeed a local girl who disappeared in 1988, as claimed by the family who have taken her in as their long-lost daughter.
Rifa is spending several days at the home of village policeman Sal Lou, who claims the woman is his daughter Rochom P'ngieng, who disappeared while tending water buffalo when she was eight.
"I can only tell you that I am taking dinner with them, a nice family," he said in Oyadao district of Rattanakiri province, stressing that he was there to evaluate the woman.
Sal Lou's family say they are certain she is Rochom P'ngieng because of a childhood scar on her arm.
With no other evidence supporting their claim, however, others have speculated that she may have had mental troubles and had simply got lost.
Her inability to communicate and evident attempts to escape indicate she is in a difficult psychological situation.
Rifa, who works for the Spain-based group Psychology Without Borders, said her behaviour showed she was having difficulty adapting, as would be expected if she had been in the jungle a long time.
"It is not extraordinary . . . or anything coming from another world," he said, referring to superstitious fears that the woman may be possessed.
Villagers and journalists have flocked to see the woman, who was found on January 13, walking bent over. She pats her stomach when hungry and uses grunts to communicate.
"The important thing is to try to help the family, if they don't know how to manage her," Rifa said.
Hector Rifa, from the University of Oviedo, said his priority was to ensure she was receiving proper treatment for whatever trauma she has had.
However, he may also find clues as to whether she is indeed a local girl who disappeared in 1988, as claimed by the family who have taken her in as their long-lost daughter.
Rifa is spending several days at the home of village policeman Sal Lou, who claims the woman is his daughter Rochom P'ngieng, who disappeared while tending water buffalo when she was eight.
"I can only tell you that I am taking dinner with them, a nice family," he said in Oyadao district of Rattanakiri province, stressing that he was there to evaluate the woman.
Sal Lou's family say they are certain she is Rochom P'ngieng because of a childhood scar on her arm.
With no other evidence supporting their claim, however, others have speculated that she may have had mental troubles and had simply got lost.
Her inability to communicate and evident attempts to escape indicate she is in a difficult psychological situation.
Rifa, who works for the Spain-based group Psychology Without Borders, said her behaviour showed she was having difficulty adapting, as would be expected if she had been in the jungle a long time.
"It is not extraordinary . . . or anything coming from another world," he said, referring to superstitious fears that the woman may be possessed.
Villagers and journalists have flocked to see the woman, who was found on January 13, walking bent over. She pats her stomach when hungry and uses grunts to communicate.
"The important thing is to try to help the family, if they don't know how to manage her," Rifa said.
3 comments:
I don't believe that she is a lost child in the jungle for 18 years. It is too impossible to be lost for that long. I think there is something mysterious about this girl. Why is the spanish psychologist paying too much attention to her. I am sure if it was a true child that was lost since she was eight years old, then she would probably still remember the basic words like eat, sleep, and etc. I think this is fabricated story.
what about a mute with mental disorders who got lost or got kicked out of her tribe or got tied up or caged in the jungle?
She is a sick human being and she needs help that's why the psychologist is there.
What kind of gain can she get from doing this or fabricated this story?
I agree with you 12:30. It may be a very serious mental trauma after being excessively fear when she was lost or caught by other. It's a small girl of 8 years who got lost in the thickness of jungle, might be facing many wild animals or caged and tied. It's a pity.
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