Thai man arrested for assaulting autistic woman and boy in Chiang Mai
Public backlash eventually forces police to act on viral assault
Police arrested a Thai man for physically assaulting two autistic victims, one of whom was a seven year old boy, on a footpath in Chiang Mai on Sunday, July 13.
The victims, an autistic woman named JJ and her seven year old nephew Krit, contacted the Emmy Volunteer team, alleging that police officers ignored their case.
The volunteer team pledged to follow up on the incident and accompanied the victims to San Kampaeng Police Station to file a formal complaint against the attacker.
Rayrai, Krit’s mother and JJ’s older sister, who is also autistic, told the volunteers and police that the three were waiting for a public bus outside a shopping mall in the San Kampaeng district when the incident occurred.
While seated at the bus stop, stray dogs nearby began barking at a man passing by. Unexpectedly, the man turned to the group and angrily demanded that they remove the dogs.
Rayrai explained that the dogs were strays and not under their care. Her response reportedly enraged the man, who then approached the group aggressively.
Fearing for their safety, Rayrai moved JJ and Krit in front of a nearby claw machine, where the lighting was better. Her fears were soon realised when the man suddenly kicked JJ, prompting all three to scream for help.
He then turned his attention to Krit, kicking the child in the face. He also attempted to assault Rayrai, but she managed to avoid being struck.
The three victims reported the attack to a police officer stationed nearby, but claimed their complaint was ignored.
Fortunately, the incident was captured on CCTV installed near the claw machines. The footage was shared online by the volunteer team and quickly went viral, sparking public outrage.
San Kampaeng Police later stated that the case had not been ignored. Officers explained that victims cannot file official complaints at temporary shelters or booths and must visit the station to lodge them. Police added that the victims had not requested transport to the station, so their report was not recorded at the time.
Following public outcry, police arrested the suspect, identified only as Ek, today, July 15. He admitted to the assault, claiming he was intoxicated at the time. Ek told police he was shocked after seeing himself in the viral video and expressed remorse. He offered 5,000 baht in compensation to the victims.
However, police confirmed that Ek would face legal action under Section 295 of the Criminal Law for physical assault. The offence carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
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