2 Thai children rescued from drug-addicted and abusive stepfather
Social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet yesterday rescued two children, aged seven and one, from their drug-addicted, abusive stepfather in the central province of Nakhon Pathom.
The children’s 21 year old Thai mother sought help from Gun after she was unable to protect herself and her children from her abusive husband, 31 year old John. She further revealed that she was previously pregnant but had suffered a miscarriage due to the abuse.
Gun, together with officers from Pho Kaew Police Station, and the Shelter for Children and Families, raided an apartment in Soi Kratumban 30 in Nakhon Pathom yesterday, February 24, to rescue the woman and her children.
Upon arrival, Gun reported encountering the stepfather taking drugs with a friend in the room. The woman and her two children were huddled in a small corner. The girl had bruises around her eyes and face, as did the boy, who also had wounds across his body.
According to Gun, the stepfather attacked the two children with a knife and an electrical wire. He beat them daily, and they had never received medical treatment. The repeated abuse caused the girl to suffer a broken nasal bone, while the boy had a broken jaw.
The woman did not seek medical treatment after losing her baby. She claimed that she allowed her wounds to heal naturally and disposed of the dead foetus in the toilet.
The stepfather prevented his wife from feeding the two children for more than two weeks before Gun’s arrival.
The young victims were forced to seek food from neighbours in secret, as the stepfather would punish them if he discovered it.
At times, the two children would wander around the community collecting recyclable rubbish and selling it to buy food and snacks.
Gun stated that he encouraged the woman to end her relationship with John and to undergo sterilisation but she appeared unwilling to follow his advice.
Gun added that the two children might not have survived much longer if he had not intervened, as both were in a serious condition. He promised to follow up on the legal action against the stepfather and assured that the children were now safe under the care of the authorities.
As for the mother, police will conduct a drug test, and if she tests positive, she will be sent for rehabilitation.
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