Perverted abbot accused of sexually assaulting novices and teenage boys in Chiang Mai

Mae Wang Police Station officers forced a perverted Thai abbot to leave his monkhood as they cranked up an investigation after novices and teenage boys accused him of sexually assaulting them. The alleged sexual assaults took place at a well-known temple, which was not named in the report, in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

In the past, the 41 year old abbot had been reportedly praised for his kindness and work for various charitable projects. He invited boys in the area, particularly those from the Tai Yai ethnic group, to become novices and study at the temple free of charge.

However, behind the saintly image of the abbot allegedly lurked a darker side. Many novices and boys in the community sought help from their guardians and the police, saying they were sexually assaulted by the abbot.

A 15 year old novice revealed that he was raped by the abbot and took advantage of his absence to escape from the temple. His parents, however, did not believe his story and sent him back to the temple.

Another novice said he had been sexually assaulted for almost three years. The abbot would sometimes call him and other novices to his accommodation and sometimes come to their dormitory. The abbot would force them to perform oral sex or have sex with him.

One 16 year old novice said that the abbot came to his room and asked for a massage. The abbot then touched his private parts. The novice said he could not resist because he was afraid that he would not have a chance to study. He was scared and needed help, but no one believed he had been sexually assaulted.

Weekly assaults

According to this novice, the abbot came to see him two or three times a week. He also asked teenage boys outside the temple to have sex with him in exchange for free study.

One of the victims added that the abbot was not the only rapist at the temple. However, there was no report on whether officials investigated the monks.

In the abbot’s case, officers from Mae Wang Police Station said they had enough evidence of sexual assault, both from the victims’ interviews and from the medical examination.

The abbot was ordered to leave the monastery today, December 7. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, would question the abbot himself. The press conference to update the case would be held later.