Two singers sought for rape

PATONG: Two Thai singers are being sought on charges of sexually assaulting a young woman from the Netherlands in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Pol Lt Weerapong Rakhito of Kathu Police Station said that, at 3:30 am on Saturday, Patong Hospital reported that two women tourists, one apparently the victim of a sexual assault, had arrived there by tuk-tuk.

Eighteen-year-old “Anna” (not her real name) told police she had been attacked twice earlier that morning at the residence of the accused on Siriraj Rd.

Lt Weerapong said that Anna and her sister Linda (not her real name), 25, said that they had come to Phuket on vacation. Linda said that they went to Sera Pub at Patong Hill, where Anna and a male singer identified only by the name of “Pla” were on friendly terms. Pla was the lead singer of a band that regularly performed in the bar.

Linda explained to the police that, after the pub closed, Pla persuaded Anna to go with him to his room up the hill behind the pub “to get something”. An hour later, Anna returned to the bar without her shoes, and with a black eye and blood on her legs.

Linda told police that Pla had forced Anna into his room and allegedly raped her. Afterwards, Linda said, as Anna escaped from Pla’s room clutching her clothes, another singer from Pla’s band allegedly grabbed hold of Anna.

When Anna resisted, the second man allegedly punched her in the stomach and the face, and then raped her.

Anna left the hospital on Saturday after receiving treatment

Lt Weerapong added that Anna had photos of both accused attackers in her digital camera.

The two singers have yet to be found, but face charges of rape, punishable by imprisonment of four years to 20 years and a fine of 8,000 baht to 40,000 baht.

Lt Weerapong said, “We believe both men are still in Phuket. We are looking for them and will arrest them as soon as they are found.”