Thai man slapped with jail time for hitting Rayong hospital nurse
The Rayong Kwaeng Court sentenced a Thai man to one month and 15 days in jail for slapping a nurse at a hospital in the eastern province of Rayong last month.
The victim’s older sister brought the physical assault at Rayong Hospital to public attention to seek justice. She explained that her sister had warned a patient’s family members not to bring a young child into the ward for the child’s safety, but was subsequently assaulted by one of the patient’s family members.
The attacker and his family defended their actions by accusing the nurse of disrespecting them. The attacker’s wife stated that her mother was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition after contracting influenza from her child.
As her mother was very fond of the child, she wanted the child to visit and cheer her up. The wife added that she was also concerned it could be the last time her mother would see her grandchild due to the severity of her symptoms.
The woman claimed that the nurse hurt her feelings while she was attempting to bring the child into the ward. The nurse reportedly said…
“Losing a mother isn’t enough? Do you want to lose your child as well? Can you accept that? Take your child out of the room immediately.”
The woman then reported the incident to her husband, prompting him to become angry and rush to attack the nurse at her workstation.
CCTV footage showed the attacker, wearing an orange shirt, slapping the nurse forcefully on the head twice before walking away.
The nurse later admitted that she spoke to the woman in that manner but insisted that her intention was good. Both she and the hospital remained resolute in pursuing legal action against the attacker. The court released its verdict on the case yesterday, March 19.
Initially, the attacker faced a three-month prison sentence for physically assaulting an official on duty. However, his confession to the offence led to a reduction of the sentence to one month and 15 days.
The court also ordered the attacker to pay compensation of approximately 70,000 baht to the victim, along with 5 per cent interest per annum from the date of the sentence until the full amount is paid.
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