Retired official accused of sexually assaulting Laotian woman

An 18 year old Laotian woman accused her employer, a retired official from the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand, of imprisoning and sexually assaulting her. The accused official denies the allegations, asserting that he cares for her like a father loves his daughter.

The older brother of the Laotian victim pleaded with officers from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station to rescue his sister at a house in Soi Ponpisai 2 in the Mark Kaeng sub-district in the Isaan province of Udon Thani on March 4. The Laotian man claimed that his sister was being held by her Thai employer and had been sexually assaulted.

Officers discovered that the accused was a retired official from the Public Health Ministry, whose identity was not revealed to the public. Upon arrival at the house, officers rang a bell and shouted into the house asking the house owner to open the gate but received no response.

The Laotian woman eventually ran into the gate and cried. Concerned for her well-being, officers asked her to climb over the gate and promptly took her to the hospital due to her panicked and frightened state.

The woman later revealed to the officers that the retired public health official hired her to take care of his 80 year old mother five months earlier. However, from the first month of her arrival, the employer allegedly sexually assaulted her through inappropriate touching, hugging, and kissing.

According to the woman, she resisted the employer’s advances and attempted to quit the job but he denied her the opportunity and threatened legal action against her. The employer allegedly locked her inside the house, so she decided to bring the issue to her parents and brother.

Employer defence

In response to the accusations, the employer defended himself in an interview with PPTV HD. The man revealed that he used to work as a doctor at Nong Khai Provincial Public Health Office but was now retired. He insisted that he did not sexually assault or imprison the Laotian woman

The retired official stated that he expressed his care and love for her as he did for his daughter. He pointed out that he had a wife and daughter living with him, questioning the need for any sexual activities with the Laotian employee.

The man also denied imprisoning the Laotian victim.

“She had a key to the front gate and went out to empty the garbage every day, so she could escape from the house anytime she wanted.

The man added that he did not respond to the police on the day of the incident due to a malfunctioning bell system at his house. He expressed willingness to cooperate with the police and facilitate the investigation.

Mueang Udon Thani Police Station planned to summon him later and also send the Laotian woman for a medical examination to see whether there were any traces of sexual or physical assaults.