Sarasas school refuses to negotiate compensation for students allegedly abused by teachers

The Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School – under fire for numerous alleged child abuse incidents – will not negotiate compensation with parents of students allegedly abused by their teachers at the Nonthaburi school.

Parents were each seeking around 5 million baht for damages, adding up to 130 million baht altogether, according to the lawyer representing the parents and chairperson of the Campaign for Social Justice, Ronnarong Kaewphet. A meeting was scheduled today at the attorney general’s office and the lawyer said they expected to meet with the school management to negotiate compensation.

Sarasas representatives did not show up to the meeting. In a letter sent to prosecutors, the school said they do not want to negotiate and the compensation will be determined by the Civil Court, according to spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General Prayuth Phetkhun.

Some teachers have been sentenced to jail sentences for assaulting kindergarten students at the Sarasas school. Reports of abuse stemmed from incidents caught on classroom surveillance camera footage showing a teacher known as “Kru Jum” pushing a student to the ground and dragging another across the classroom. More reports of abuse followed.

The Nonthaburi Province Court found Kru Jum guilty of child abuse and physical assault of a minor. The court sentenced the kindergarten teacher to 7 months in jail. Another teacher was sentenced to 45 days in jail after she was caught on camera putting a black garbage bag on a student’s head and pulling it down to cover his entire body. 4 other teachers got short jail sentences of around 15 to 75 days for assaulting kindergarten students by banging their heads on the desk, pushing them to the floor and twisting their ears, according to Nation Thailand.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post