Israeli man arrested at Phuket Airport for alleged rape on Koh Samui
Police arrested an Israeli man at Phuket International Airport for allegedly committing rape on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Officers from the Surat Thani Provincial Immigration Bureau sought the cooperation of the Phuket Provincial Immigration Bureau to apprehend the Israeli suspect, a 37 year old man named David. He was accused of raping a foreign woman on Koh Samui on Sunday, March 30.
Police in Surat Thani gathered evidence and issued an arrest warrant for David, but he had already left the island for Phuket. Details of the sexual assault case were not included in the report.
Phuket police officers arrested the Israeli man at Phuket Airport as he was about to leave the country. He insisted on his innocence, but officers were not convinced and transferred him to the Bor Phut Police Station in Surat Thani for further legal proceedings.
The Israeli man has been charged under Section 276 of the Criminal Law, which covers sexual assault involving threats and violent acts. The penalty ranges from four to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of between 80,000 and 400,000 baht, or both.
Another sexual assault occurred last month on Koh Pha Ngan, another renowned island in the province. In that case, a 24 year old German woman filed a rape complaint at Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, leading to the arrest of two Indian suspects.
The German woman reported that she was with her boyfriend at the time, but they were intoxicated and unable to resist or protect themselves.
One of the suspects, 47 year old Vijay, confessed to the crime, while the other, 40 year old Rahul, insisted on his innocence. Rahul claimed that he had only kissed and hugged the German victim, but she resisted him.
In April last year, a German teacher narrowly escaped an attempted rape by a Thai Grab motorcycle rider in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani. The rider was later arrested. He claimed that the German woman had seduced him, leading him to believe that she wanted sex.
Officers also found methamphetamine, also known as Yaba, in the Grab rider’s possession. As a result, he faced four charges, with a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
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