66 year old monk accused of raping 12 year old novice
A 66 year old monk is on the run from a temple in the central province of Prachin Buri after being accused of raping and sexually abusing a 12 year old novice for more than six months. The scandal emerged after the novice visited a hospital due to a complaint about an anus infection.
The 12 year old was sent to a hospital after he got a severe infection in his bottom. The doctor questioned the novice to find the cause of his symptoms. The boy told the doctor that he had been raped by the alleged pedophile, a 66 year old monk named Thaworn Sookcharoen.
The boy became a novice last year after his parents divorced. The family thought it would be good for the boy to get away from his domestic problems and believed the monk could teach him how to be a good person.
The novice revealed he was raped for the first time in June last year. Thaworn promised he would buy two mobile phones for the boy if he kept the sexual assault a secret.
The novice said he was raped six times before he visited the hospital in December. The doctor issued a medical certification confirming that the child had been raped. The boy’s parents filed a complaint with the police at Mueang Prachin Buri Police Station on December 31.
According to a Khaosod report, the monk fled the temple after his sexual deviancy was revealed.
The child and his parents were worried that the police would ignore their case because there had been no development for almost a month. So, they asked the media to spread the story to seek justice for the young boy.
The assistant to the district chief, Thiti Kittiwithitkhun, told the media that Thaworn was still in innocent status. This means he has 60 days to submit evidence to prove he’s not guilty.
A monk from the same temple told the media that he met Thaworn before he left the temple. He asked him about the issue but Thaworn refused to explain anything and left the temple with his brother on that day.
It has been 18 days since the novice and his family filed a complaint with the police, so Thaworn has 42 more days to prove his innocence.
