Violent monk flees scene after leaving teenage girl for dead

A violent monk is on the run after attacking his 17 year old granddaughter with a hammer and leaving her for dead at a temple in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani last Saturday. Police believe that a letter found at the scene suggests the monk had a crush on the girl and was jealous of a friendship she’d recently struck up with a male friend.

The 17 year old girl, Ae, was found with severe injuries at a monk’s accommodation by her grandmother in the Baan Na Gae Temple in the Phiboon Mang Sa Harn district of Udon Ratchathani on the evening on January 8. She is currently in hospital recovering from her injuries.

The girl’s grandmother, 55 year old Boon, told the media that Ae’s face and head were covered with blood. The teenage girl was about to lose consciousness when her grandmother found her. Boon notified the police that she suspected 56 year old monk Uthit Lakthong was behind the attack.

Officers checked a security camera in the temple and found Uthit escaping on Ae’s motorcycle after the attack. He set off toward the Si Mueang Mai district but the officers lost track of him and he is now on the run from the police.

Boon suspects the monk romantically loved Ae. He always gave her money. On the day of the attack, Uthit called Ae and told her to come and get some money for her school trip. She rode her motorcycle to the temple to get the money and that was the last Boon heard.

Boon went to the temple to look for her and found her granddaughter covered in blood.

Boon believes that the monk saw a picture Ae posted on Facebook with a male friend a week ago and became jealous and attacked her because of it.

Uthit left a letter at the scene. It said…

“I paid everything for you, the tuition fee, the dental fee, accessories, anything you want. I can’t even have a chance to touch you. You ignored everything I did for you.”

Officers also found a picture of Uthit and Boon together at the temple accommodation. The investigating officer reported that he is keeping an open mind to the motive behind the attack.

He said he would question the relatives of the girl and the monk to find out whether he tried to rape and murder the girl. It was not revealed whether the teenager is a blood relative of the monk or whether she called him grandfather as a term of respect.