A groom who failed to appear for his wedding ceremony is now facing the wrath of the law, as well as his father-in-law and the jilted young bride-to-be.
Phra Thong Kham police chief Pol Col Somchai Komphayak said on Wednesday police had pressed charges against Theeraphat Khemsunthia, 20, for raping and sexually abusing a person under 18.
The charges were filed by Som Yusamran, the father of the 15 year-old girl, after the groom failed to appear at the wedding ceremony on Sunday, to the shame and embarrassment of all present.
The name of the girl was withheld.
Video clips posted on the Facebook account of Wilaiwan Yusamran on Monday showed her crying and being comforted by people around her at the house where the ceremony was to take place.
“It hurts,” a woman said in the clip.
The couple had met seven months previously.
The young girl’s family reportedly had borrowed an unspecified sum of money to pay for the event, using a land plot as collateral, and were apparently expecting to pay back the loan from the bride price paid by the groom.
Mr Som said he and his wife initially planned to talk to the groom, but were advised to instead seek legal action and talk to a creditor to delay payments.
Pol Col Somchai Komphayak said the charges against the groom were criminal and were not open to negotiation.
They had interrogated Mr Theeraphat and he promised to marry the girl once he had the money. He would be officially informed of the charges later, the police chief said
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