Sisaket school attack leaves boy severely injured

A violent incident occurred at a school in Khun Han district, Sisaket province, where a 12 year old boy was brutally attacked by older students after refusing to buy cigarettes for them. The incident has raised concerns about student safety and prompted intervention from educational authorities.

A Facebook post by a concerned relative highlighted the severe injuries sustained by the boy, including a head wound and multiple cuts and bruises. Photos accompanying the post showed the boy, dressed in a blood-stained school uniform, with visible head injuries.

Upon visiting the village in the Huai Chan subdistrict of Khun Han district, the reporter met with the boy’s guardian, Wanana. She explained that her 12 year old nephew, referred to as A, is a sixth-grade student at a local school. A recounted that on the morning of the incident, around 7am, while he was sweeping leaves, an older male student in the first year of middle school and a female student in the second year approached him, demanding he buy cigarettes. When he refused, they became enraged and took him to a storage building on the school grounds where they attacked him.

The young boy recounted the attack, stating that the older male student used a pencil sharpener blade to cut his right arm and burned him with a cigarette in several places: once on the neck, once on the chest, once on the left side of his ribs, once on the abdomen, and three times on the right leg. The older boy then struck the victim with a large chain.

The female student used a PVC pipe about 50 to 60 centimetres long to hit the young boy multiple times on the forehead and then smashed his head against a wall, causing a head wound. The 12 year old boy managed to escape and sought help from his teachers, who took him to Khun Han Hospital.

The boy noted that he has been too scared to return to school since the incident and expressed a desire to transfer to another school for his safety.

School action

Following the incident, Yuttana Pornthip, Deputy Director of the Sisaket Primary Educational Service Area Office 4, provided financial aid to the victim from the San Fan Pun Nam Jai fund. He assured that measures would be taken to enhance student safety, including the installation of CCTV cameras and the involvement of school inspectors and the community in addressing the issue.

Wanana, the boy’s aunt, revealed that this was not the first time he had been assaulted by older students. Previously, he had been beaten with a vine, but she had not pursued the matter as the children involved were friends and from the same village. However, the severity of this attack prompted her to seek justice.

Wanana also mentioned that various agencies have started providing support to her nephew, which has eased her concerns. The Khun Han Police Station has scheduled a mediation session between the parties involved for June 2 to resolve the matter, reported KhaoSod.

She stated that if her nephew does not receive fair treatment, they might have to consider transferring him to another school.