Child Sex Assault Probe Stalls; Officer Allegedly Offers Bribe

Activist Kan Jompluang (Kanthisorn Phongpaibulwethai) has taken up the case of a 13-year-old girl allegedly gang-raped by six boys at Sukhothali Waterfall in Bannang Sata district, Yala province. According to investigation, the victim went to the waterfall with six female friends. After a quarrel with one friend, she walked down to retrieve a forgotten hijab but was dragged into a public bathroom by six teenage boys, three of whom sexually assaulted her until she lost consciousness. The remaining three boys allegedly repeated the assault. A friend of the victim later revealed that the attack was premeditated—the female friends had conspired with eight boys (including one girl's boyfriend) to lure and attack her. The family fears a video recording was made.

The victim's mother stated she works and lives in Bangkok with her daughter, returning home to Yala only during school breaks. After filing a report with Bannang Sata police, the investigation made no progress and officers allegedly attempted mediation, proposing a 150,000-baht settlement. The mother refused, demanding justice and vowing to pursue the case fully. Kan Jompluang argued that under Thai law, sexual assault of a child under 15 cannot be settled by compromise or mediation regardless of consent, especially when force was used. He said he has briefed the Region 9 Police Commander, who has agreed to personally oversee the case and investigate the officer accused of offering the bribe.