Undertaker sentenced for hiding foetuses
The South Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday sentenced Suthep Chabongbon, an undertaker at Wat Phai Ngern, to three years and four months in jail for concealing and destroying illegally aborted human foetuses. This first case hit the headlines when some 2,0
Suthep, 47, and his assistant Suchat Phumee, 39, have been accused of concealing foetuses in 348 instances from November 1, 2009 to November 13, 2010. On January 27, Suchat was sentenced to 20 years in jail in another lawsuit related to this case.
During police interrogation, Suthep confessed that former nursing assistant Lanchakorn Chanthamanas had given him 15 foetuses to conceal and had been paid between Bt200 and Bt500 each time. However, he denied any wrongdoing in court, claiming that he was illiterate and had been lured to sign some papers after police promised to protect him as a witness.
After considering evidence, the court found Suthep guilty yesterday. The suspect’s family has already prepared Bt100,000 to apply for Suthep’s bail release.
On August 16, 34yearold Lanchakorn was sentenced to 10 years in jail for providing illegal abortions before her sentence was halved because she cooperated.
