Somrak apologises to public but denies sexual abuse charges
Olympic-medal-winning boxer Somrak Kamsing turned himself in to Khon Kaen police late on Wednesday night to deny four charges related to alleged sexual abuse of a 17-year-old girl early on Sunday.
Somrak reported to the police at 10.30pm and was interrogated over allegations that he took a 17-year-old girl from a pub at 3am on Sunday to molest at his hotel.
Police investigators formally read the four counts of charges against him: Collaborating with another person to take a girl older than 15 but younger than 18 from parents through force; collaborating with another person to take a girl older than 15 but younger than 18 to sexually abuse; using force to sexually abuse a girl under 18; trying to rape another person.
As he left the police station after the questioning, Somrak spoke to a crowd of reporters waiting outside. He made a “wai” and apologised to all Thais and Khon Kaen people over the issue.
“Had I known it, this drama would not have had happened,” Somrak said.
“But it has happened, so I must solve it with conscience. And I would like to apologise to my family and the family of the girl. I understand how all feel. I don’t want this to happen but it has happened so I’m willing to solve it and I’m ready to enter the justice process.”
Somrak and his team left in a car after he finished the short interview.
Pol Lt-Colonel Suparirk Suwanrat, deputy chief of Muang Khon Kaen Police Station, said Somrak had denied all the four charges.
He said the investigative team gave Somrak 15 days to draft his written testimony to give to police.
Suparirk said Somrak did not appear tense while being interrogated.
He said police did not detain Somrak because he did not seem a flight risk.
Suparirk added that Somrak was not accompanied by any lawyer.
He said police had yet to summon the other suspect, the motorcyclist who rode Somrak and the girl to Somrak’s hotel, to face charges.
The two girls said they had to speak up after they were attacked on social media for failing to protect their friend and not trying to stop their friend from going with Somrak.
The two girls clarified that they had just met the girl on Saturday night when they went to the pub together. They went with another boy, making a group of four.
The two girls said they went to the restroom and came back only to find she was drinking at Somrak’s table.
The two girls said they went and asked her why she was drinking with Somrak, but she did not reply so they returned to their table.
After the pub was closed at 3am, the two girls and the other boy waited for her in front of the pub.
They said their boyfriend offered to take the alleged victim back to her hotel and they asked her whether she wanted to really leave with Somrak. They said she frowned at them, apparently as she wanted to leave with Somrak.
They said they were puzzled to see the alleged victim walk to Somrak and ride the same motorcycle with him.
