Neighbour strikes boy over ‘drunkard’ name-calling

A neighbour struck a six year old boy after he called him a drunkard, prompting the boy’s mother to take legal action. The incident left the child frightened and his mother determined to see justice served.

Kritsakon, the mother of six year old Kaprao, shared her distressing experience. Yesterday evening, Kaprao was cycling with a friend, the grandson of the man who struck her son.

The children were playing and teasing the grandfather, a common occurrence, by calling him a drunkard old man. Kaprao joined in, repeating the taunts with added phrases like crybaby old man.

The neighbour, angry at the mockery, intercepted Kaprao during his play. He grabbed the boy by the neck and squeezed his arm tightly before flicking and slapping his face. Kaprao, terrified, tried to escape but couldn’t break free.

Kaprao returned home with a sad expression. Kritsakon, noticing her son’s demeanour, asked if he had been bullied, a question she regularly poses. Kaprao replied that the neighbour slapped him.

Initially, Kritsakon thought the neighbour might have been trying to play. However, Kaprao insisted he was slapped hard, describing the man’s angry, unsmiling face. Concerned, Kritsakon took her son to confront the neighbour, secretly recording the conversation for her safety, given the man’s known temper.

The neighbour vehemently denied slapping Kaprao, claiming he only pinched the boy’s cheek and invited Kritsakon to check the security footage. He justified his actions, explaining that he was upset by the drunkard taunts. Kritsakon responded that if he had issues with her son, he should have approached her directly for discipline, rather than taking matters into his own hands.

“Everyone loves their children. If my son did something wrong, come to me, and I will punish him. Don’t take it out on him yourself.”

Legal action

After recounting the incident to her husband, they checked the security footage, which clearly showed the neighbour slapping their son. They promptly reported the incident to the Bang Khun Non Police Station, determined to pursue legal action to the fullest extent.

Kritsakon expressed that if her son misbehaves, she disciplines him by explaining the reasons behind the punishment, which he fears but understands. This incident has left Kaprao more frightened than ever.

Kritsakon believes the neighbour’s actions were excessive, especially since they had no prior conflicts and often exchanged friendly words when they saw each other.

Reflecting on the event, Kritsakon admitted she never expected the neighbour to harm her son, reported KhaoSod.

Despite seeing and speaking to each other daily, they were not close due to his volatile and loud personality.