After 6 years in Cambodian prison: Dane freed by Royal pardon

Photo from NGO Action Pour Les Enfants.

After being accused of forcing minor male staff member at his guesthouse in Siem Reap to have sex with costumers, Danish Sven Erik Jonasson was imprisoned in 2010. After serving 6 years in prison he has now been freed by a Royal pardon.

Jonasson, 70, has said himself that he was not guilty and that he was a victim of a conspiracy, claiming that his staff had worked with a policeman to come up with the accusations in order to receive a compensation of 30 000 Danish Kroner.

On 3 January 2017 Jonasson received the Royal pardon in a decree, however missing a reason for the pardon.

Child protection NGO, Action Pour Les Enfants, expressed disappointment upon the court’s decision to reduce Jonasson’s sentence. The NGO had spend more than a year since 2008 to investigate Jonasson’s activities following tips from several costumers who had stayed at his guesthouse.

Source: Cambodia Daily