Thai teacher confesses to sexually abusing schoolboys

A Thai teacher in the central province of Ratchaburi confessed to sexually abusing many schoolboys. He stated that he could no longer recall the number of victims or the specific students involved.

A former Member of Parliament candidate from the dissolved Move Forward Party (MFP), Piramate Maneechote, accompanied nine young victims and their parents to Suan Phueng Police Station on November 25 to file a complaint against the teacher, later identified as 30 year old Krittha.

The parents reported to the police that Krittha lured the young boys to meet him and he sexually assaulted them. These incidents occurred within the school premises, including the teacher’s office, bathroom, and a mushroom farm.

If any victims resisted, the teacher would physically assault them before the sexual abuse. Some victims were subjected to inappropriate touching, while others were raped.

Most of the young victims were from ethnic minority groups, with the youngest being only nine years old. Some of them exhibited signs of fear and anxiety, while others developed negative behaviours as a result of the abuse.

The mother of one victim told Thai PBS that her son, previously a shy child, unexpectedly groped a friend’s private parts in front of her. She had never witnessed such behaviour before and believed it was a consequence of the sexual abuse.

Suspect’s confession

The parents and guardians revealed that they had reported the matter to the school director on June 21 but no action was taken. As a result, they sought help from the former MP candidate.

Police arrested Krittha later that day and ordered him to lead officers to the locations where the sexual assaults took place.

Krittha reportedly confessed to the child sexual abuse, stating it was his personal sexual preference. He also admitted to being sexually attracted to both males and females.

However, Krittha denied that all nine schoolboys were victims. He claimed to have assaulted many young students but in different ways. He even stated that he could not remember the number of students he had abused or the specific students involved.

Krittha faces three charges, including:

• Section 277 and 275 of the Criminal Law: sexually assaulting a minor under 13 years old who is a disciple under the case. The penalty is one-third harsher than the penalty for violating Section 277, which is imprisonment for seven to 20 years and a fine of 140,000 to 400,000 baht, or life imprisonment.
• Section 279 and 275 of the Criminal Law: committing an indecent act to a person aged under 15 years old, whether such girl shall consent or not. The penalty is one-third harsher than the penalty for violating Section 279, which is imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both.
• Section 317 of the Criminal Law: taking a child under 15 years of age away from their parents for an indecent purpose. The penalty is imprisonment of three to 15 years and a fine of 6,000 to 30,000 baht.