Villagers call for justice for accused in alleged rape of teenage girl
Villagers have petitioned authorities to ensure that the men accused of the gang-rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl at a small village in Phang Nga province receive justice.
They say that some suspects had faced arrest warrants even before they were interrogated by police.
“Such an action violates the rights and freedom of the suspects,” Sanpetch Thipmontien, a volunteer villager representative, said on Monday.
He gave an interview as he led more than 40 local people to Deputy Phang Nga Governor Ekarat Leesen to lodge a petition.
The people, most of whom are women, said the arrests meant some families would lose their breadwinners.
The sexual crimes allegedly took place over several months last year. The victim, now 15, told police that she was sexually assaulted by at least 40 men.
After the alleged crimes attracted massive media attention, several residents complained that the allegation damaged the village’s reputation and insisted that police should also listen to the accused.
A total of 11 suspects have already been identified.
Another suspect, identified as Nawik Jaruek, turned himself in at Kok Kloi Police Station on Monday to deny the allegation.
He is one of three suspects that the court approved arrest warrants for last Friday.
Two other suspects have already been forwarded to court.
Phang Nga Police Station’s chief Pol Maj-General Boontawee Toraksa said investigators were still working to apprehend all the individuals involved in the case.
A source maintained yesterday that at least three more suspects in the scandal were still living normal lives because of their financial and social status.