MONDULKIRI: Six suspects have been arrested for the brutal murder of five family members, including three children and two adults, and the attempted murder of one other child, on 1 February in Me Pai village, Pichreada district of Mondulkiri province. The one surviving member of the family is reported to be currently recovering in a Phnom Penh hospital.

The arrest was made by Joint Task Force Bravo22 of the Mondulkiri Provincial Police on 5 February, in cooperation with the specialized force of the Criminal Police Department and the Technical and Scientific Police Department.

According to the Director of Operations for the Child Protection Unit, James McCabe, the murder case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Ministry of Interior Scientific Department, the Office of Major Crime, the Mondulkiri Police Command and the Child Protection Unit Homicide and Forensic Teams.

He was further quoted saying, "This has been a very brutal and heinous crime that was in a remote location making the investigation extremely difficult. I want to take this opportunity to thank all involved in this investigation for their dedication and commitment in solving this brutal crime."

The six arrested suspects live in Laoka village of Sen Monorom city, with ages ranging from 14 to 54. The suspects confessed that the reason for killing the five victims and injuring one was out of resentment, and accusations that the family were witches and engaged in black magic.

With the six suspects in holding, a case is currently being built to send to the provincial court and move forward with arrest procedures.