A Kyrgyz boxer who traveled to Phuket for training has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a sauna shop employee.
On August 24, officers from Chalong Police Station in Phuket apprehended 28-year-old Mr. Sultan, a Kyrgyz national, in connection with the alleged rape of a female spa employee in Moo 3, Chalong Sub-district, Mueang Phuket District. Mr. Sultan turned himself in to the police after being contacted by authorities.
The incident was reported on August 21 by Miss A, a 19-year-old employee of the spa, who claimed that the assault took place on August 18 at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Sultan had come to the spa to use the ice bath service. After Miss A prepared the ice, she returned to sit at the counter inside the shop. Later, around 5:00 p.m., Mr. Sultan informed her that he had finished using the room. As she went to turn off the gas, he followed her and began to sexually harass her, attempting to rape her but failing. Before leaving, Mr. Sultan used the Google Translate app to type, “Can’t continue due to back pain, and will come back the next day,” and instructed her, “Don’t tell anyone.”
After the incident, Miss A filed a police report, prompting forensic officers to collect evidence at the scene. Mr. Sultan was then summoned to the police station, where he was informed of the charges and had his fingerprints collected for prosecution.
Under Thailand’s Criminal Code Section 276, anyone who engages in sexual intercourse with another person through threats, force, exploitation of a situation where the person is unable to resist, or by causing the person to mistake them for someone else, faces imprisonment of four to twenty years and a fine of 80,000 to 400,000 Baht.
Interestingly, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on August 24, the Kyrgyz suspect was still posting pictures of himself training in boxing as usual.
