Former deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi acquitted in indecency case

The Criminal Court yesterday pronounced Prinn Panitchpakdi, previously a deputy leader of the Democrat Party, not guilty in a case where he was indicted for an obscene act on a 17 year old girl back in 2018. The court’s decision was based on the statute of limitations expiration.

The prosecution’s lawsuit stated that during the day on April 25, 2018, while on a van journey, held the girl’s left hand and touched her thigh with his other hand. This incident reportedly took place in public sight in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok. The girl was unable to prevent the alleged molestation.

Prinn faced charges of committing an indecent act on a minor who was over 15 but under 18 years old and removing a minor from her parents for an indecent act. Prinn denied all the charges and was subsequently released on bail.

After examining the evidence from both the prosecution and defence, the court determined that the proposed offences took place in a private van outfitted with curtains and dark films. Furthermore, a curtain separated the driver’s and passenger compartments, making it impossible for outsiders to see inside.

Moreover, the time limit for an indecency case is just three months. Considering this case is from 2018, the statute of limitations had long expired.

Regarding the charge of removing a minor from her parents, the court discovered that the alleged offence occurred while Prinn was transporting the girl from an office to a condominium in a van. Upon the girl’s request to be dropped off on the roadside to catch an electric train, Prinn complied.

As a result, there was no evidence supporting the charge of removing a minor from her parents. Hence, the court acquitted him of all charges.

It’s worth noting that Prinn has been indicted on multiple occasions for sexual offences against women. In a separate case on September 29, he was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay 2 million baht in damages following his conviction of sexually assaulting Hathairat Anna Vidhyaphum. He was later released on bail, reported Bangkok Post.