Thai woman seeks justice over hermit’s naked massage cancer cure claim
A Thai woman is seeking help after a hermit in the southern province of Surat Thani sexually assaulted her by tricking her parents into taking her to his compound for a naked massage, claiming she had breast and cervical cancer.
The 20 year old victim, identified only as Or, told a Thai news agency yesterday, July 14, that she had been sexually assaulted by the man, who claimed to be a hermit, and his wife at their compound in the Vibhavadi district in Surat Thani.
Or contacted the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (M-Society) yesterday via the department’s hotline number 1300 and asked officials to pick her up from the compound. Or was accompanied to Vibhavadi Police Station to file a complaint against the hermit and his wife.
During questioning, Or revealed to the police that her parents believed in the hermit’s supernatural powers and became followers of his a few years ago. On July 5, Or’s mother told her that the hermit predicted that she had breast and cervical cancer.
The parents asked Or to seek treatment from the hermit but she refused. Unfortunately, under pressure, she went to the hermit’s compound, where he ordered her to undress and receive an oil massage.
Or said that the hermit not only touched her body and breasts but also inserted his finger into her vagina. The hermit asked her to come to his place again and again and did the same to her.
Or went to the hospital to have her alleged cancer checked out. The health check confirmed that she was healthy and did not have cancer.
Deciding to move out of her house to live with a friend, Or was visited by her father who insisted she meet the hermit for treatment. unable to tolerate it any longer, she sought help from the media and M-Society.
She also called for the police and government officials to investigate the hermit and his wife’s actions, revealing that similar treatments had been performed on two other girls aged only 12 and 14.
The hermit and his wife were summoned to the police station for questioning this morning, July 15. officers were planning to search their home and collect evidence soon.
