Shocking: Novice Monks Attack 9-Year-Old Boy with Cigarette, Mother Files Complaint

A viral video captured on April 29 shows a group of novice monks assaulting a 9-year-old boy with cigarettes and intimidating language in an incident that occurred on April 26, sparking widespread public outcry. The novices were conducting a summer ordination at a temple in Chom Phra District, Surin Province. The temple's acting abbot, Phra Ajarn Kraphan Kantviro, revealed that the child's parents brought the video to the temple for investigation. The temple has already defrocked four novices involved in the incident as a monastic punishment, while civil legal proceedings will follow according to law.

The assaulted child had previously been ordained as a novice and later left the temple. The incident occurred outside the temple grounds near rice paddies where the boy had gone to fish, though the area remains under temple responsibility. The temple is coordinating with monks' council members to provide support and psychological counseling to the victim, who has since been discharged from the hospital. The boy's mother expressed concern about his mental state and confirmed that she has reported the incident to police.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Somyot Phumchaiiphum, chief of Chom Phra Station, stated that Provincial Police Commander Sukhon Sriarn ordered an urgent investigation. Four youths aged 11, 12, 13, and 16 were involved—three as perpetrators and one as a videographer. Officers have interviewed the victim's mother and filed an assault complaint. The juvenile suspects will undergo inquiry by a multi-disciplinary team including prosecutors and social workers in accordance with juvenile justice procedures. Initial charges include assault, pending medical examination results that will serve as additional evidence.