Three South Korean tour guides arrested for karaoke rape

Oct 22, 2009, 4:06 GMT

   Phnom Penh - Three South Korean tour guides have been arrested for allegedly raping a teenage karaoke hostess after she passed out from drinking, national media reported Thursday.

   The three men were taken into custody in the tourist town of Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat temple complex.

   The provincial bureau chief of the police's juvenile protection unit, Sun Bunthorng, told the Cambodia Daily newspaper the three men would appear in court Thursday.

   The paper reported that the men had booked a private karaoke room at the Dream World Karaoke parlour on Tuesday evening, and invited four karaoke hostesses to join them.

   After three hours of drinking, during which time the victim passed out, the men allegedly told the other women to leave and then locked the door.

   When the manager of the karaoke parlour gained access with a spare key, he reportedly found one of the men in the act of raping the unconscious 18-year-old.

   The police were called and arrested all three men, one on suspicion of rape and the other two on suspicion of attempted rape. The provincial police chief said the woman was receiving medical treatment.

   The story made the news on the day that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was due to arrive in Phnom Penh for a two-day official visit to the kingdom. Lee is to visit Siem Reap on Friday to see the temple of Angkor Wat.