BANGKOK Though the Central Juvenile and Family Court chose to release the young Siam Paragon shooting suspect on legal technicalities, his father has agreed to leave him under the care of state psychiatrists.
The court on Monday (Jan 1) issued an order freeing the 14-year-old from detention at the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection because investigators failed to meet the Sunday night deadline.
The boy had been placed under the care of psychiatrists at the Galya Rajanagarindra Institute shortly after the shocking mass shooting at the luxury mall in downtown Bangkok.
Siriprakai Worapreecha, deputy director-general of the department, presented the court order to the institute on Monday before meeting the boy’s father and the psychiatrists in charge.
At the meeting, it was decided that the boy would continue undergoing treatment at the institute over fears that he may pose harm to society and himself if freed.
Siriprakai said the doctors did not set a timeframe for the boy’s treatment but have decided to consult the father to set up a treatment plan.
When ready, the doctors will put the boy through a final evaluation before deciding if he is fit to stand trial. If considered mentally fit, the boy will then be handed back to police investigators for interrogation, Siriprakai said.
The Oct 3 shooting saw three people killed and four others wounded. A Chinese tourist and a Myanmar worker were among those killed.
Meanwhile, rumours of the boy being released sparked public outcries, with many wondering how a “dangerous person” could be allowed to return to society.
Separately, the Pathumwan Police Station submitted its investigation report to public prosecutors on Dec 20.
However, on Thursday, the Office of the Attorney-General rejected the report because the suspect was interrogated and slapped with five charges before he underwent psychiatric evaluation at the Galya Rajanagarindra Institute.
The OAG said investigators violated the Criminal Procedure Code by interrogating the suspect before obtaining a report about the young suspect’s mental health and his ability to stand trial. - The Nation/ANN
