Family seeks clarity in prison death

The family of an inmate who died over the New Year holidays in Phitsanulok Provincial Prison yesterday petitioned the House committee on law, justice and human rights to help monitor the Corrections Department’s investigation into the case.

Kanokwan Phusrithes, the sister of Kanate Phusrithes who represented the family, said she handed the letter to committee spokesman Rangsiman Rome and Phitsanulok MP and committee member Padipat Santithada.

Kanate was one of four inmates who died inside the prison over the New Year break. Public health officials who looked into the causes of the fatalities found the prisoners showed symptoms related to food poisoning prior to their deaths, which included limb numbness caused by low potassium levels in their blood.

However, Ms Kanokwan insisted her 27 -year-old brother — who was due to finish his jail term on Jan 30 — was healthy.

Worse still, she said, no state agencies contacted the family to provide assistance and information after his death.

“If he had been sick as claimed by some warders, why didn’t they send him to receive medical attention?”

After receiving the petition, Mr Padipat said that based on his knowledge of the case, the government was not ignoring the matter.

However, he understood why the family is demanding more transparency, especially considering their claim that no one has approached the family to inform them of the cause of Kanate’s death.

“They want to know who should take responsibility for his death,” he said.

“Justice must be done for all, even an inmate.”

Mr Padipat said the committee will ask Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin to help ensure the investigation is carried out in a straightforward and transparent manner.