Stepfather Arrested for Abusing 3-Year-Old Stepchild
A 30-year-old stepfather was arrested in Bangkok after authorities discovered his 3-year-old stepson had extensive bruises and cuts, including genital injuries, allegedly inflicted during ongoing abuse. The child has been hospitalized while
On August 6, 2025, Foundation for One Child coordinated with Deputy Commander Piyarutt Wessagosol and other officers from Bangkok's child protection unit to conduct an intervention at a three-story townhouse in Lak Si district after receiving complaints that a 3-year-old boy was being physically abused by his stepfather on an ongoing basis. At the scene, authorities met the stepfather, 30, and the child's mother, also 30. Medical inspection revealed the child had bruises and contusions throughout his body, with sharp-object cuts particularly evident on his genitals. Officers immediately transferred the child to a hospital for treatment.
The Foundation for One Child reported that a concerned citizen had alerted them to the daily abuse inflicted by the drug-addicted stepfather, with injuries the child's preschool teacher had previously witnessed. The child had been sent to stay with his grandmother in another province for two months, but the mother brought him back. The foundation also noted drug use was occurring in the home. The child had previously suffered a broken arm from beatings, which the mother claimed was a fall, despite protecting the stepfather. The foundation planned the intervention because they feared the child's condition would deteriorate further, coordinating with Deputy Commander Piyarutt for official assistance.
The stepfather stated he had been released from prison twice on theft charges and had completed his sentence eight months prior. He currently works as a car washer and admitted to using methamphetamine and ice daily. He acknowledged occasional arguments with his wife but denied ever abusing the child, claiming the bruises and cuts resulted from the child falling and playing recklessly with a knife. He said he did not take the child to a doctor out of fear of being misunderstood as the abuser.
The child's mother subsequently admitted that all of the child's injuries were inflicted by the stepfather. Authorities initially questioned both the stepfather and mother while awaiting medical findings, after which the case will be referred to Thung Song Hong Police Station for formal charges and legal proceedings.
