Only 13 percent of young men and women surveyed by the group recognized forced sex with a prostitute as a crime, while women perceived as having broken from Cambodia's conservative social norms are also targeted, Licadho said.

"Gang rape ... is perpetuated by common attitudes and beliefs among young men that promote the myth that any girl who is not considered 'good' is available for sexual intercourse without her consent," the group said.

The trend towards increasing violence is not restricted to sex crimes, according to Licadho.

Despite the passage of domestic violence legislation in 2005, the laws have yet to be widely enforced, and reported crimes like beatings and abandonment have gone up since then.

"Beliefs about the inferiority of Cambodian women make if difficult for domestic violence to be recognized as a serious problem that families, friends and authorities should intervene in," Licadho said.

Government officials acknowledge that violence against women is pervasive, but You Ay, secretary of state with ministry of women's affairs, said victims were more likely to report crimes.

"Now they are not afraid anymore -- they dare to make a complaint to protect their rights and interests," she told AFP, but added that the government had no figures on the number of incidents.

"Violence is continuing but I cannot say whether it's increased or not," she said.

"We are trying our best to reduce the problem."

Source: AFP