Teacher denies rape allegation
Previous complaints led to punitive action
A physical education teacher at a school in Klong Toey district, accused of raping a 16-year-old student, was in jail last night after reporting to a police station to acknowledge the rape charge.
Timtong Panya-in went to Tha Rua Police Station at 1pm yesterday to acknowledge the charge following a complaint filed on Thursday by the student’s mother.
The 26-year-old teacher denied the allegation. The police later took him to court to seek an official arrest warrant, which was granted.
He ended up in jail because the court refused to grant him bail fearing he might try to intimidate witnesses.
Deputy police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen said yesterday the police had already interviewed the student who has also undergone medical checks at the Police General Hospital.
Apart from the rape charge, police investigators told media that they had unsubstantiated complaints, currently being investigated, that the same teacher had also sexually assaulted at least 20 other girls.
It was not the first complaint the alleged rape victim’s mother had laid against the teacher. She told police that attacks have been going on for the past four years.
She said she had lodged an earlier complaint at Tha Rua Police Station but the complaint did not reach court.
The school conducted a disciplinary probe and the teacher had his grade and salary reduced but he was allowed to continue working in the same school.
Parents reportedly continued to accuse him of sexually harassing or assaulting students.
The case drew attention on social media after a group of parents posted the case on a Facebook page called “Lah” (Hunting).
According to information on Facebook, at least 16 other students are also going to file formal complaints against the teacher.
On June 2, parents claimed that another student had been raped by the teacher. However, the school only transferred him to work at Klong Toey’s District Office’s Education Section.
The parents were unsatisfied with this outcome because they felt the office was too close to the school.
The school’s director had asked parents not to publicise the issue in order to avoid tarnishing the school’s reputation, said Ronnasit Phrueksayachiwa, an investigations director at an anti-human trafficking organisation. Mr Ronnasit is urging parents of other victims to also come forward and file police complaints.
Pichaya Nakwatchara, deputy permanent secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said the agency’s executives have acknowledged the matter.
A probe panel looking into the allegations has been on the case since June 14. The results will be revealed within 30 days.
However, Dr Pichaya admitted that the panel has not quizzed the teacher yet. Only witnesses have been questioned so far. Mr Pichaya said the agency must wait for the probe results to see whether the teacher is guilty.