MOTHER LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON POLICE STATEMENTS AND MEDIA COVERAGE
From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok
Why did no-one hear my daughters screams?
Evening Times Scotsman Daily Mail Daily Record The SUN Press & Journal
A 26-year-old Thai man was today being held in connection
with the rape of a 20-year-old Scottish student as the girl’s mother launched a
blistering attack on corruption, police statements and media coverage in Thailand.
with the rape of a 20-year-old Scottish student as the girl’s mother launched a
blistering attack on corruption, police statements and media coverage in Thailand.
Pongpatana Porsoi, a native of Nakorn Sri Thammarat in
Southern Thailand, was paraded before the press and made to re-enact enact his movements in regard to the alleged rape on a second floor walkway in the city at the weekend.
Southern Thailand, was paraded before the press and made to re-enact enact his movements in regard to the alleged rape on a second floor walkway in the city at the weekend.
Pongpatana, who was given a police ‘stab vest’ to wear claimed that the young Scots woman was lying on the
walkway. It was an opportunistic action. He had seen her in the nearby
restaurant and had followed.
walkway. It was an opportunistic action. He had seen her in the nearby
restaurant and had followed.
The woman, who was drunk, tripped and fell as she walked up the the
stairs. He was drunk and aroused.
stairs. He was drunk and aroused.
He admitted dragging her into a corner and attempting to
rape her. But he failed to finish. A short while later he returned and the
woman was in the same position so he raped her again.*
rape her. But he failed to finish. A short while later he returned and the
woman was in the same position so he raped her again.*
Porsio, said police, had been pointed out by a security
guard as a suspect. But when confronted with the young Scots woman she
repeatedly said: “I can’t tell”.
guard as a suspect. But when confronted with the young Scots woman she
repeatedly said: “I can’t tell”.
Police say that they will now have to rely on forensic
evidence taken at the local hospital.
evidence taken at the local hospital.
The man’s confession flies in the face of police reports yesterday
quoting the manager of the Vientiane Restaurant, where the woman was refused
admittance, as saying she was escorted to a room and quoting a neighbour Noi Raksachon,33,
saying that if she was being raped she would have heard her cries.
quoting the manager of the Vientiane Restaurant, where the woman was refused
admittance, as saying she was escorted to a room and quoting a neighbour Noi Raksachon,33,
saying that if she was being raped she would have heard her cries.
It also appears to contradict other reports by the woman that two men raped her.
In an interview
with STV the young woman herself said: “How come no-one in nearby houses heard anything happening?
I was screaming and shouting during the attack, there’s no chance they never
heard anything. The police have said the people living nearby just thought it
was a fight and didn’t do anything.
with STV the young woman herself said: “How come no-one in nearby houses heard anything happening?
I was screaming and shouting during the attack, there’s no chance they never
heard anything. The police have said the people living nearby just thought it
was a fight and didn’t do anything.
“The police and
authorities are very humiliating, their whole system has let me down – they’re
making out that I was some drunken idiot and it was my fault, which was not the
case”.
authorities are very humiliating, their whole system has let me down – they’re
making out that I was some drunken idiot and it was my fault, which was not the
case”.
And now the woman’s mother
has also rounded on Thai police and the press.
has also rounded on Thai police and the press.
“The system there is so corrupt …and if my daughter had
been taken back to the flat there was another housemate there who wasn’t aware
(my daughter) was home ????.
been taken back to the flat there was another housemate there who wasn’t aware
(my daughter) was home ????.
“He would have heard her …instead of theses ignorant
people not listening to the screams of a young woman being attacked /raped.
people not listening to the screams of a young woman being attacked /raped.
“They go to the
authorities and tell stories to make money to keep their country looking good
and us Briton’s looking like drunken idiots.
She does admit she was drunk but believe me my daughter was so happy
with her new life about to begin in Thailand with a new job etc. Why would
anyone make up such stories, to make themselves out foolish or stupidans?”
authorities and tell stories to make money to keep their country looking good
and us Briton’s looking like drunken idiots.
She does admit she was drunk but believe me my daughter was so happy
with her new life about to begin in Thailand with a new job etc. Why would
anyone make up such stories, to make themselves out foolish or stupidans?”
* Statements by defendants on rape charges in Thailand should be seen as that and no more. Thai newspapers are also quoting this man as saying that the Scots woman said: “Good. Good”.
Oh to be naive, young and innocent. No one should have to go through this, there are no excuses absolutely none!
All we can do is educate our kids in the hope of self preservation.
Locals don't rush out to help people in distress at night unless it is someone they know well. They're scared of mafias in jeans, uniforms and business suits – as are most people who live here beyond a few weeks. Back-up from other 'respectable' citizens is in the realms of fantasy.
“They go to the authorities and tell stories to make money to keep their country looking good and us Briton’s looking like drunken idiots. She does admit she was drunk but believe me my daughter was so happy with her new life about to begin in Thailand with a new job etc. Why would anyone make up such stories, to make themselves out foolish or stupidans?”
Tragic really, but wandering around the streets at 3am completely hammered is bound to get you into trouble, be you a male or female. I hope if it was rape that the perpetrator feels the full brunt of the law,and I hope that the young lady uses a bit more common sense next time.
You could just as easily be talking about Brixton as Bangkok to be fair, Born2serf. It's not a uniquely Thai problem.
The issue is the tendency for witnesses to follow the police line rather than give honest accounts of what they saw or did not see.
Though in this case, the cops do not seem to be fabricating.
If she was attacked at two different times, maybe that's why her initial statement was two different men.
Be aware in Thai law if the man does not ejaculate (and with evidence of such one surmises) it is a lessor degree of "rape" assault.
If a person is incoherently drunk, they are impaired. It's an assault no matter what she may or may not have moaned, at least to men who have any sense of right and wrong.
I heard a version of what happened but won't post second hand information as I don't know whether it is true or not. My girlfriend was at the Nakhon hospital when the victim was brought in. Whenever I see young farang girls and get a chance to speak to them I always tell them to never go anywhere in Thailand alone at night. I also tell my Thai nieces in Australia to never go anywhere alone at night also. Nakhon is very quiet at night and generally pretty safe. This girl had only been in the country for 2 weeks so should never have been left alone. The Rock 99 restaurant where a lot of the young teachers hang out is just around the corner from a local brothel where a lot of drunken teenagers and young guys hang around. You see a lot of drunken fisherman and blue collar guys there so it's not the place for any girl to be left on her own- especially when she's blind drunk.
I don't think anyone here ever claimed that there is anything inherently local about this phenomenon. I'm glad some readers have pointed out the risks elsewhere. Risk-taking amongst young people here is actually just as prevalent as anywhere – inspite of the fact that they should be far more aware of their local risks. They know their lives are comparatively cheap to both this country's elite and its constant bottom-feeders, and still they go out tempting oblivion. Blind-drunk teenage girls riding around on the back of unknown gang member's motorcycles at 3 AM being just one case in point.
Learn to deal with the problems of both feckless or non-feckless rich and less rich tourists, or continue to watch your reputation going down the plughole. I suppose you could always fall back on the Chinese shoppers who come here to do little more than shop and eat. That may well be the best option for the local elite – obsessed as they are with keeping local labor cheap, cheerful and under their patriarchal thumbs.