Teachers charged with sexual assault to a young student

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 08:40 am

Five teachers accused of raping a 14-year-old female student in Northeastern Thailand have been charged and fired from their jobs. The Mukdahan Provincial Education Office has also set up a committee to investigate the cases.

Thailand’s Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan has ordered educational officials to take care of the student. He also expressed his concern for the mental health of the girl and her family. Chana Summat, director Obec-Student Protection and Rescue Centre, said that the teachers had not yet been found guilty of rape but they had been dismissed according to the procedure.

The centre will also investigate the director of the school since he neglected the rape that happened under his supervision. A psychologist has spoken with the rape victim and believed that she had spoken the truth. She is now under the protection of her family, and a foster home in Mukdahan will take of her during the trial.

Police yesterday pressed charges against seven men, five teachers and two alumni of a the school. They were charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old student over the past year. They all denied the charges (despite video evidence) and applied for bail which was granted, Police reported. Pol Col Namchai Sriwiang said the suspects are accused of repeatedly raping the girl since March last year. The charges came after the girl’s grandmother informed police Monday. Her 14 year-old granddaughter had told her about the rape and they wished to press charges.

According to the report, in March last year, the girl was lured by a teacher to a staff room where he raped her. The teacher continued his assaults before inviting the other six men to join in at different times. The rapes were said to have taken place in several locations, including classrooms at the school and the houses of the suspects. In the case of the second alleged victim, deputy police spokesman Pol Col Krisana Phathanacha­roen told the Bangkok Post an investigation is underway. Police were prepared to press further charges. The second victim has apparently given a statement. National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda has also ordered a full investigation. Telling forensic teams to gather evidence from all scenes of the alleged crimes as well as the suspects’ homes. The Education ministry has also withdrawn their teachers’ licenses due to the serious nature of the allegations.