BANGKOK: In a ground-breaking verdict, the parents of five teenagers who had killed a 47-year-old woman in Sa Kaeo province were fined 10,000 baht each by the provincial juvenile and family court on Wednesday (March 13).
The police had come under scrutiny over their conduct in the highly publicised murder case.
On Jan 12, Buaphan Pansu's dead body was found in a pond near a school in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, with severe head and face injuries. Her husband Panya was arrested and he later confessed to the crime.
Security camera footage, obtained by a reporter from Channel 8 News, however, revealed the real culprits were the teenagers. They beat up Buaphan and then transported her unconscious body to the pond where she was later found.
Only after the footage was aired did the authorities apprehend the five teenagers and release Buaphan's husband.
Pol Colonel Pichet Srichantra, the Aranyaprathet Police Station commander, was transferred for 30 days to an inactive post at the Sa Kaeo police headquarters after audio clips surfaced, suggesting the mistreatment of Panya during the investigation into his wife's murder. The teenagers were later sent to a juvenile detention centre.
This is the first time in Thailand that the parents of children who committed a crime have also been held accountable for negligence.
After the verdict, the parents of the five children sneaked out, avoiding the media, but the grandfather of a boy identified as “Bank”, revealed that the fine was reduced by half after they accepted responsibility.
The father of another teen, identified as “Big”, however said the fine was harsh. He added that no parent would intentionally neglect or encourage their children to commit a crime but when the teenagers were out of sight, parents had no way of knowing what they were up to. He said he had come to the court prepared to accept whatever the verdict. - The Nation/ANN
