Two beaten over raping girls, 12 and 14 years old
Wichit Police are investigating the beating of two young men who were attacked in revenge for the pair allegedly plying two girls, aged 12 and 14, with alcohol and raping them.
The two men presented themselves at Wichit Police Station at 9:53pm on Jan 23 to file a formal complaint of the beating, which they said was carried out by eight other young men.
Due to the nature of the incident, Wichit Police Chief Pol Col Chatri Chukaew was informed of the complaint, as were Deputy Chiefs Pol Lt Col Rachan Phanwai and Pol Lt Col Wuttichai Chanfai.
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum and Deputy Commanders Pol Lt Col Akanit Danpitaksart and Pol Col Teerawat Liamsuwan also joined the investigation.
Maj Gen Sinlert said the incident involved two groups of youths, one from Phuket
Town, the other from Chalong.
The two men ‒ one a 20-year-old from Moo 1 Chalong; the other an 18-yearold from Moo 1, Wichit ‒ told police the attack was carried out in an alley next to Klong Mudong Market in the hours between late on Jan 22 and early Jan 23.
The two men were familiar with their attackers, but could name only four of them by their nicknames: Mr Guy, Mr Diao, Mr Jim and Mr Jane.
The attack was recorded on video, which shows the two men being repeatedly struck and kicked, and repeatedly stomped on the head.
One of the attackers, ‘Mr Diao’, later told reporters that the attack was carried out for revenge. The two men were wanted for getting two girls drunk then raping them at a house in Chalong last month.
The group of eight were trying to hunt down three men involved in the incident, but on that night found only two of them, he said.
When confronting them, the two admitted to their part in the rapes, he said.
The two girls were at first reluctant to admit what had happened. They felt shame and feared what would happen to them if they told anyone, he said.
“This kind of thing cannot be tolerated,” ‘Mr Diao’ said.
Regardless, Maj Gen Sinlert said police were now looking to press charges against all eight who took part in the attack for “jointly together causing bodily harm".
The two girls have been urged to file a formal complaint at Chalong Police Station.
Maj Gen Sinlert also said that police were now cracking down on delinquent youths.
“We have measures to control youths after midnight by calling the parents to pick them up in accordance with the Child Protection Act, and we have set up teams to go out and patrol areas,” he said.
“In addition to using OrSor [personnel from the Volunteer Defense Corps], we have started using patrols to search suspected persons, which we are doing. We are now increasing the intensity of our patrols,” he added.