A Thai prisoner urged the Lawyers Council of Thailand Under the Royal Patronage to help him seek justice after two fellow inmates tricked him into taking a sleeping pill and raped him. The incident led the victim to repeatedly attempt suicide.
The story gained public interest after a Thai lawyer, Nitithorn Kaewto, shared it on Facebook yesterday, July 10. According to the lawyer, the sexual assault occurred on January 7 at Bang Kwang Central Prison in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok.
The two alleged rapists added a sleeping pill to a coffee and tricked the victim into drinking it. They then sexually assaulted him at night, as the three were imprisoned in the same cell, separate from the rest of the prisoners.
The rape was reported to a prison guard, who filed a complaint with Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station on behalf of the imprisoned victim. However, the case went nowhere.
The victim tried to end his life multiple times because other inmates later learned of the sexual assault and bullied him. Fortunately, prison guards intervened in time to prevent his suicide attempts.
The victim decided to seek help from the Lawyers Council by submitting a document to them in April. After consideration by the council president and the human rights sub-committee, a team of lawyers was formed to help the victim.
The legal team recently met with officers from Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station to follow up on the case. The police claimed that a lack of officers caused the delay. However, the prison guards had already punished the alleged rapists after the incident.
The legal team planned to contact relevant authorities to rehabilitate the victim and implement measures to prevent bullying in the prison.
The lawyer pointed out a suspicious element in the case, questioning how the alleged rapists obtained the sleeping pill and whether it was indeed a sleeping pill or another drug.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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