Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) has launched the country’s first specialist facility for child victims of serious crimes, marking a milestone in child protection in Cambodia.
The Lotus Centre is the first of its kind in Cambodia and the region, providing child victims of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking with a safe, caring, and supportive environment.
All services involved in the investigation of crimes against children and the care of victims will be under one roof, from investigators and legal teams, a dedicated forensics laboratory, to immediate treatment of injuries and safe accommodation.
Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, officially opened the Lotus Centre on 23 July, joined by his wife, Her Excellency Dr. Pich Chanmony, as well as government ministers and officials.
The Prime Minister emphasised the government’s strong commitment to combating all forms of abuse throughout Cambodia. He praised the CPU for its efforts to protect the well-being of children and those vulnerable to harm.
Funded by a private donor, the centre will be run by the CCF’s Child Protection Unit (CPU), which was established in 2013 as a unique collaboration pairing experienced international investigators with the Cambodian National Police (CNP) to investigate the most serious crimes committed against children.
The Lotus Centre will also be home to the CPU’s dedicated Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team, formed to investigate online crimes against children, a worldwide and rapidly growing concern.
“Through relationships with the US Department of Homeland Security, prospective online crimes are sent here for analysis and investigation with the Cambodian National Police. We work alongside multiple government ministries and occasionally international investigations to combat these heinous crimes," said Scott Neeson, CCF’s Founder and Executive Director.
"Many arrests have been made, and a message sent that Cambodia has no tolerance for such crimes, and we are just warming up.”
Located in Takhmao City, Kandal Province, near Phnom Penh’s new international airport, key features of the Lotus Centre include:
On-site medical suites for immediate treatment
Counselling and psychological support
Safe accommodation and 24-hour care
Forensics laboratory and blood analysis facilities
Digital crimes and cyber investigation office
Ambulance bay and triage area
Training room for capacity building
Co-location of child protection officers and police investigators
The Lotus Centre stands as a symbol of what we are still building: a Cambodia where every child is free from fear and harm
The Lotus Centre will also serve as a training facility offering courses led by certified trainers and experts for national and local police, as well as those involved in the protection and treatment of child victims of abuse.
Over the last 12 years, with more than 4,000 cases, and working alongside the Cambodian National Police, the CPU has achieved an arrest rate of 83%, which is higher than that of many highly developed countries.
In 2024 alone, the CPU and the Cambodian National Police conducted 369 investigations into serious crimes against children under 15, leading to 295 arrests.
89 offenders were sentenced, receiving a combined 643 years of imprisonment.
The CPU also supported 176 child victims and their families with free legal representation.
“This facility stands as a symbol—not only of what we have achieved, but of what we are still building: a Cambodia where every child is safe, valued, and given the opportunity to live free from fear and harm. This goal could not have been achieved without my staff’s dedication and commitment to protecting children,” said James McCabe, CPU’s Director of Operations.
To mark the occasion, several members of the CPU team, international experts, and CCF staff received awards for their services to children and the CPU.
