Roi Et: Thai teacher under investigation for assaulting toddler with metal tray

A teacher in Selaphum district, Roi Et province, is under investigation after being accused of assaulting a two year old boy with a metal food tray, leaving the child with multiple bruises.

The incident came to light when the Facebook page Pen Neung posted images of the child’s injuries and the metal tray.

The boy’s father reported the assault to the Facebook page, alleging that his son had been beaten by his teacher at a local school using a metal food tray. The toddler’s injuries included multiple bruises all over his body. The Pen Neung team confirmed they were investigating the matter and would visit the school urgently.

The Facebook page later posted images of a deep-dish metal tray, suggesting that this was the item used to strike the child.

“The classmates of the little boy said that the teacher used a food tray to hit him! If this is true, this teacher must be expelled. You are no longer fit to be a teacher. We will investigate this matter further. The term hit in our local language means to strike hard.”

Following this, Pen Neung posted a video from the school’s CCTV showing a female teacher assaulting a child. The post revealed that the teacher had assaulted the child simply because he did not place his tray in the correct slot. It also noted that other teachers in the vicinity did not intervene or assist the child, suggesting that such behaviour was considered normal, reported Sanook.

Video evidence

A subsequent video showed the child’s parents tearfully watching the footage of the assault before embracing their distraught child.

“Before you become a teacher, you should be a decent human being first. You have not only inflicted physical wounds on this child, but you have also emotionally scarred him and his parents. People like this are not fit to be teachers. We will continue to pressure this teacher to take responsibility for her actions.”

An additional video clip showed the child being repeatedly kicked and hit with a broom. Lastly, an update on the Facebook page reported that the teacher had fled the area and the police were preparing to issue a summons for her to present herself at the police station on November 13.