Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients

A teenager staying in a community isolation centre while recovering from Covid-19 says she was sexually assaulted by a young man staying in the same room, adding that there were no authorities monitoring the patients.

Many of Thailand’s field hospitals and isolation centres have numerous beds made from cardboard boxes all in one large room, like a gymnasium. The 15 year old says she was staying in a coed isolation room in the central province of Ang Thong when a new patient, an 18 year old man, started making sexual comments.

Reports say the man would follow her around the room and went to her bed, touching her. At one point, he followed her to the bathroom were the teen says he attempted to rape her. The teenager had mean admitted to the isolation centre with around 10 of her friends who had also tested positive and they were reportedly able to stop the man from assaulting her.

Reports in Thai media say there were no authorities in the room when the assaults took place. Patients could contact the authorities on the messaging application Line, but apparently they would reply late. The teenager says she tried to contact authorities when she had a stomachache and she didn’t get a response until two days later.

After getting out of treatment, the teenager and her family already reported to the officers at Ang Thong Provincial Police Station and Dhamrongdham Centre, which is under the Ministry of Interior.

SOURCE: Sanook