Surat Thani police question US teenager’s rape complaint

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Surat Thani police question US teenager’s rape complaint

By The Nation

 

File photo used only for representation

 

Surat Thani police have publicly cast doubt on a US teenager’s rape complaint filed on Wednesday.

Provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Apichart Boonsriroj on Thursday held a meeting of investigators to expedite the investigation after an American teenage girl filed a complaint stating that she had been raped by a tuk tuk driver.

 

Apichart also sent the 16-year-old girl, who is a student participating in an exchange programme, for a second medical check at a provincial hospital after the preliminary check reportedly failed to find evidence that the teenager had been assaulted.

 

A Rotary Club official and a teacher took the teenager to file the complaint at Muang Surat Police Station on Wednesday, saying she had been raped by a tuk tuk driver on Monday after she left school.

 

She reportedly had been headed to a restaurant near a Samui Island boat pier in the downtown area of the district.

 

After the alleged incident, the girl called her parents, who called the US Embassy, which in turn contacted the teacher.

 

Apichart said the preliminary investigation had found evidence that contradicted with the teenager's account.

 

According to the police chief, the girl reported that she had left her school and taken a tuk tuk, whose driver subsequently raped her. However, Apichart said footage from CCTV in the area showed the girl exiting the school and walking to a convenience store before returning to the school.

 

Additional footage reported showed the girl walking from the school to the home of the Thai family with whom she was staying.

 

Police had not found footage of the girl being attacked by a tuk tuk driver, Apichart said.

 

He added that he had instructed investigators to thoroughly review CCTV footage recorded from Monday to Wednesday.

 

The girl has been staying with a Thai family who lives about five kilometres from a well-known school in downtown Surat Thani for the past four months.

 

Apichart said the family sent the girl to and picked her up from school everyday.

 

During the year-end holidays, the girl took a holiday with other exchange students and returned to the family's home on December 31.

 

Monday was the first day that she returned to school.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30335982

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-11

[hdkane]

in the usa, there is some evidence that about 30% of rape/sexual assault reports are fabricated...not implying that the woman is lying, but it is a possibility.

[ronaldo0]

For a start there aren't any tuk tuks in Samui as police have deemed them illegal as far as I know. 

[greatwhitenorth]

The young lady will do very well in American politics if she continues down the path she has started on.

 

Lying and blaming people from poorer countries falsely  should make her very electable in the present  political climate.

[USPatriot]

8 minutes ago, greatwhitenorth said:

The young lady will do very well in American politics if she continues down the path she has started on.

 

Lying and blaming people from poorer countries falsely  should make her very electable in the present  political climate.

What democratic state, new york or california?

[Mac98]

13 hours ago, USPatriot said:

What democratic state, new york or california?

The Dems are the ones blaming poor countries falsely for America's problems? Even Fox News wouldn't try to sell that crap. That tactic is right in Trump's wheelhouse.

[greatwhitenorth]

21 hours ago, USPatriot said:

What democratic state, new york or california?

 

The White House, my rightwing apologist.  

 

By the way, where did you immigrate to America from?

[USPatriot]

30 minutes ago, greatwhitenorth said:

 

The White House, my rightwing apologist.  

 

By the way, where did you immigrate to America from?

I was born in america, my great great grandparents came through ellis island the legal way and had a medical screening and a sponser.

 

There was nothing for free no welfare no healthcare. So your point is?

 

Every male in my family has served in the military, my father was in the osi (pre cia) during ww2 in 1 year he learned to speak fluent german.

 

He ended up bringing in canon copiers to the usa and was ceo. Not to bad for a kid that worked in the cole mines.

 

My point is nothing was handed to anyone until Truman's great society and we see were that has gotten us. 

Edited January 13, 2018 by USPatriot

[greatwhitenorth]

 

 You seem to forget the immigrants that came through  the lottery are in America legally.

 

  Norwegians then were they?  Cream of European society I am sure. 

 

Weren 't able to collect the non existant welfare or Medicaid ( at that time)

Probably didn't have cell phone either too.

 

  I also believe the Irish weren t all that welcome when they arrived in America through Ellis Island legally, but then neither were the Jews or the Italians.  Funny thing with  Right Wing Americans, soon as your family is in, it's time to lock the door and look down on the outsiders, 

Edited January 13, 2018 by greatwhitenorth

[Yahooka]

For a start there aren't any tuk tuks in Samui as police have deemed them illegal as far as I know. 

But there are in Surat Thani where the alleged incident took place [emoji6].

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[ronaldo0]

26 minutes ago, Yahooka said:

But there are in Surat Thani where the alleged incident took place .

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Ah yes indeed . Samui island boat pier .!!

[Jingthing]

About the medical checks, I don't feel we're being given enough information. If they had modern rape kits and the first exam was done before she showered, it should have shown physical evidence, depending on what the alleged rapist did.

But based on the report that there was TWO DAY gap between the alleged assualt and police report, certainly she would have cleaned up by then. Beyond that, I feel until we know more, people should reserve judgment about the claim. Rape is horrible and so is not being believed when it's reported. It's understood that false claims occur, but again, not sure why anyone would have a final conclusion as yet (and also, what do you imagine the motivation would be in this case for false claim?). People jumping to definite conclusions that this is a false claim should really be ashamed of themselves. 

Edited January 14, 2018 by Jingthing