Step-grandfather accused of assaulting step-granddaughter: Family seeks justice

A 14 year old girl in Thailand has sought assistance from the police to arrest her 52 year old step-grandfather for sexually assaulting her several times over a year. Kanthat Phongsapibulayawetch, also known as Gun Jompalang, a social media influencer who helps people during crimes, visited the authorities with the girl, her 26 year old aunt, and other family members, requesting an investigation into the accused, whose identity has been withheld. The group met with deputy police chief Surachat Hakparn, requesting that he monitor Nakhon Pathom Police Station’s progress on the case.

The family had reportedly filed an initial complaint and was informed that a warrant had been issued for the assailant’s arrest. However, the police station later informed the family that they were unaware of his whereabouts and that high costs were incurred in this arrest. The family was further told to engage the services of another police department for assistance in arresting the step-grandfather, which required a fee of 10,000 baht (US$290).

Gun questioned if the course of justice required payment and whether the alleged perpetrator would be arrested if the girl could not afford the fee. Expressing his disappointment with the situation, he insisted that he had dealt with several cases of children’s rights violations and never encountered such a fee for justice.

Concerning the actual incidents, the girl’s step-grandfather had abused her multiple times within a month and two or more times a week for almost a year. The case came to light when the girl’s aunt discovered self-recorded videos on the girl’s phone, which the girl had reportedly shared with a friend at school, who advised her to retain them as evidence. The family subsequently questioned the step-grandfather, who denied the allegations before fleeing.

The girl’s aunt, identified as A, expressed her dissatisfaction with the 10,000 baht (US$290) fee, stating that they were already victims and should not be required to pay. She requested the authorities to expedite the arrest as it had been nearly a year since the incident occurred. Recently, there has been some movement in the case, as the suspect was seen through CCTV footage, dated May 13, in the northeast Yasothon Province in Thailand, and he reportedly has a new girlfriend. The family hopes that swift action will be taken and the perpetrator will be prosecuted according to the law.