Juvenile court procedures in dealing with 14 year old Siam Paragon gunman

Juvenile Court spokesperson Sorawit Limprangsi today revealed the legal procedures in dealing with a 14 year old offender who used a 9mm gun to shoot people at the Siam Paragon shopping mall, resulting in injuries and fatalities.

Sorawit stated that upon arresting a juvenile, the Juvenile Court procedures will verify the lawfulness of the arrest. The investigative officer must bring the child or juvenile to the Juvenile Court within 24 hours for the court to inspect the arrest to ensure it adheres to the law and protects the juvenile’s rights.

Typically, in cases where a child or juvenile commits a crime, the law gives the investigative officer authority to detain the individual for no more than 24 hours.

Most often, an officer will bring the individual to the Juvenile Court to decide whether to detain them further and what subsequent steps should be followed. After inspecting the arrest, the court waits for the arrest report from the investigative officer who brought the juvenile to court.

This report helps the court to assess the juvenile’s behaviour, such as the number of people shot, the individual’s mental health, medical treatment, and parental care. The investigative officer must include this information in the report for the court’s consideration.

During the arrest inspection, the investigative officer must come to the Juvenile Court. The court may cross-examine the officer to gather further information about the arrest.

Court conditions

Afterwards, the court will decide whether to release the juvenile or continue to detain them based on the circumstances.

If the child shows signs of mental illness, the court may decide to leave the child under their parent’s or guardian’s care if they can adequately do so.

The court may set certain conditions. However, if the parents cannot take care of the child, the court may assign a child welfare organisation or other agency to take care of the child.

It could also be another suitable location, such as a psychiatric care facility, depending on the severity of the child’s behaviour and the measures required to control and care for them.

As for the parents of the child, according to the law, if a child or juvenile who has not reached legal maturity commits a crime, the parents are also liable under Section 429 of the Civil and Commercial Code unless the parents can prove their exemption according to the law, which states they are not at fault.

The spokesperson for the Juvenile Court added that the law considers the circumstances of each case. For example, in one case, if 10 children break the law, the court may apply different measures to all 10 individuals depending on their situations and the appropriateness for each child, reported KhaoSod.

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