Teen girl may be charged with murder

The teen, whose boyfriend is the son of a policeman, has also been accused of threatening the victim’s relatives. 

The victim’s relatives will discuss with police tomorrow the possibility of filing premeditated murder charges against the six attackers and the teenaged woman – a crime that carries a potential death sentence, said Anantachai Chaidech, the lawyer of the victim’s relatives.

Anantachai witnessed the stabbing as his office is located near where it occurred. He said security camera footage showed the group prepare weapons to attack Somkiat Srijan, 36.

Acting metropolitan police commissioner Lt-General Sanit Mahathaworn presented the 19-year-old woman, known only as Kratae, at the press conference yesterday afternoon.

He said she denied threatening Anantachai on Facebook. 

He said her alleged threat to Somkiat’s relatives, in which she said “If my boyfriend is in jail, I will kill you”, was within the frame of a criminal offence. Sanit said the investigation had progressed far, with forensic test results pending.

He said police had installed two security cameras in front of the bread shop in Soi Chokchai 4 where Somkiat worked to prevent anyone from threatening his relatives. 

Colonel Chairob Junnawat, superintendent of Chokchai Police Station, said police would bring Kratae to Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court for a detention application tomorrow.

In Nakhon Pathom province, Somkiat’s youngest son, 9, yesterday lamented: “Dad used to ask me what I want to do when I grow up and I replied I wanted to be a policeman. I never thought policemen’s sons would be my dad’s killer.” 

The boy and his 12-year-old brother live with their 38-year-old mother, Rungnapa Sae-iew, and two relatives. They all work odd jobs. 

Rungnapa recalled that Somkiat worked hard to earn money for the family expenses, particularly for the youngest son’s anaemia treatments and both boys’ education. “We are lost without him,” she said.

The 12-year-old son asked: “I don’t understand why they killed my dad? I don’t know what to do. I never thought my dad would leave us so soon. He always said that he didn’t really want to stay in Bangkok but he needed money for our education and treatments for my ailing brother.” 

In related news, Dr Wimonrat Wanpen of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanakarindra Institute commented that the seemingly increasing acts of teenage violence – such as this incident – stemmed from the growing use of online media to encourage violence. She said a growing divorce rate also affected many youths’ upbringings and many lacked a strong sense of right or wrong, while some parents using verbal and physical violence against their children also exacerbated the problem.