NAKHON SAWAN – Five teenagers were arrested for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nakhon Sawan’s Muang district, while four others are still at large, police said.
The arrest was announced at Nakhon Sawan police office in a press conference led by its commander Pol Maj Gen Damrong Petchpong, Muang police station chief Pol Col Thanupong Saengsue, and Bang Muang police station chief Pol Col Niwat Pipattanasiri.
The suspects were nabbed by a combined police task force near a convenience store near the home of one of the suspects where the alleged rape took place on the night of Aug 29, police said.
The court approved the arrest warrants on Sept 6th
All but one of the suspects are under 18. The suspect over 18 was identified as Nuti Onsuwan, 18, according to police.
They were initially charged with rape and sexual assault of a child under 13.
The arrest was made after a child welfare official lodged a complaint with Nakhon Sawan provincial police office on behalf of the girl’s parents.
Based on the complaint, the victim, identified as a 12-year-old girl, was gang-raped by a group of teenagers. The victim knew her attackers as they were residents who lived in the same neighbourhood.
Based on the initial investigation, the girl was contacted by the gang on Aug 29 night via Facebook Messenger. After chatting for a while, they lured her to meet them at a house.
According to police, there were nine teenagers at the house when she showed up. Five of the suspects allegedly attacked and raped the girl while the four others watched.
Some of them allegedly took pictures and shared them with their friends, police said.
The girl’s mother contacted the provincial child welfare centre for help after she learnt about the attack, leading to the arrest of the five teenagers.
Pol Maj Gen Damrong, chief of Nakhon Sawan police, told the Bangkok Post that police from Muang and Bang Muang stations cooperated in the investigation and rounded up the five suspects outside a convenience store near their home.
Pol Maj Gen Damrong said investigators expected to arrest the remaining suspects soon.
