School chief faces police probe over alleged relations with teen

By Prasit Tangprasert 
The Nation

 

 

 

PROVINCIAL POLICE Region 3 has set up a team to investigate claims that a 51-year-old Nakhon Ratchasima school director had an inappropriate romantic relationship with a 14-year-old Mathayom 2 schoolgirl.

 

Bua Yai district superintendent Pol Colonel Kharom Boonsod said yesterday that the initial probe, as per the region chief Pol Lt-General Damrongsak Kittiprapat’s order, would be complete within three days. 

 

If the accused school director was deemed guilty, police would file a charge under the Criminal Code’s Section 317 of taking away a minor under 15 from the parent/guardian. 

 

This is punishable with imprisonment of three to 15 years and a fine of Bt6,000-Bt30,000, he said.

 

Ban Patong Thanoen Samakkee School director Nathapop Boonthongtho – who was transferred immediately on Tuesday to an inactive post pending a disciplinary panel investigation – has not been seen this week. Nor has the girl, although her mother said she was staying with a relative in Sakhon Nakhon. 

 

The girl’s 40-year-old mother, whose name was withheld to protect the girl’s identity, yesterday insisted she didn’t believe her daughter would behave in this way. She also said that an “unfair” allegation had been brought forward “against an innocent teenage girl” by the mother of the girl’s Mathayom 3 ex-boyfriend. 

 

She said she would wait to hear from her daughter about what really happened and would not take any legal action against the school director yet. 

 

The Nakhon Ratchasima Primary Education Service Area Office 6’s fact-finding probe into the allegations should be complete by next week, said office director Sanong Sudsa-ard. 

 

If there has been wrongdoing, the case would be forwarded to the provincial education office to launch a serious disciplinary probe against Nathapop, he said.

 

This could lead to him being fired from the civil service without pension or benefits if deemed guilty.

 

Sanong also addressed questions about claims that Nathapop had conducted an inappropriate relationship with a Prathom 6 student at his previous school.

 

Sanong said Nathapop was found to have inappropriately touched the girl and was punished with a 5 per cent salary reduction for two months plus a transfer to this school. He said Nathapop had settled the case with that student’s family, although he didn’t elaborate.

 

Education office deputy director Supapongsa Chantharang, who led the investigation’s preliminary fact-finding panel, said yesterday that his team had interviewed four members of the school committee, the ex-boyfriend and two close friends of the girl.

 

 They had found some grounds suggesting Nathapop had demonstrated inappropriate behaviour towards the girl. He said Nathapop allegedly paid special attention to the girl and often took her out alone. Supapongsa said the team would interview more teachers and students to get more details. 

 

He urged the girl to talk to his team so they “could directly hear from the damaged person”. Nathapop should also explain his side of story to ensure justice to all parties, Supapongsa said. 

 

Nathapop has called in sick and has not yet presented himself for his new duties at Nakhon Ratchasima Primary Education Service Area Office 6.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30337090

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-25

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

Sanong said Nathapop was found to have inappropriately touched the girl and was punished with a 5 per cent salary reduction for two months plus a transfer to this school.

A 5 percent reduction of salary for two months and a transfer to another school for inappropriately touching a girl?

 

What the hell is wrong with the Ministry of Education?

 

This guy should have been fired outright the first time and brought up on charges of molesting a child. 

 

Instead, here he is with another underage girl; it is sick and disgusting.

 

Previous deviate behaviour should have precluded any further dealings with children in school employment,

and his name added to child  sex offenders list,

after he serves his time, 

which should be significant.

 

 

 

prolly pay some apology cash and get transferred to another school again....


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1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

What the hell is wrong with the Ministry of Education?

It is difficult to find anything that isn't wrong with the Ministry of Education and it's senior management.

I suspect the incompetence of the Ministry of Education sets the standard for most other ministries.

Put in jail and throw away key!

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This guy should have been fired outright the first time and brought up on charges of molesting a child. 

while i share the largely western outrage, i do not believe thais do; seems another primitiveism here that we see from time-to-time

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Sanong said Nathapop was found to have inappropriately touched the girl and was punished with a 5 per cent salary reduction for two months plus a transfer to this school. He said Nathapop had settled the case with that student’s family, although he didn’t elaborate.

 

If true, there is so much wrong with these sort of actions. As far as I am concerned, school staff are the children's guardians during the duration of their time on the school premises. Anywhere in the world. If they abuse the trust that has been given to them then they should face the full weight of the legal system.

 

If the above is true about inappropriate actions against a minor, he should never have the opportunity to settle anything with the family outside the legal system. Nor should the school authorities in their own way be allowed to 'settle' the matter by simply transferring him to another school as a potential predator.

 

IMO, until the option of settling outside of the legal system is taken off the table we will continue to put children at potential risk by allowing these type of people to hide and remain active in positions of trust concerning minors.

Their wording is unbelievable " hear from the damaged person " 

Wouldn't VICTIM be more appropiate 

57 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

IMO, until the option of settling outside of the legal system is taken off the table we will continue to put children at potential risk by allowing these type of people to hide and remain active in positions of trust concerning minors.

I agree with you in this situation. But the Thai way of compensating a victim with money often has a practical purpose. Just putting someone in jail, such as in the case of a road accident, serves nobody. Different culture, different thinking.

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

What the hell is wrong with the Ministry of Education?

 

Easier to ask, what is right with them?

28 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I agree with you in this situation. But the Thai way of compensating a victim with money often has a practical purpose. Just putting someone in jail, such as in the case of a road accident, serves nobody. Different culture, different thinking.

Also understand your points above and do agree with them.

 

My issue is that these people, in this case anyway, escape with no consequence after paying 'hush' money only to replicate their actions inside the educational system at another location. In my view that is totally wrong.

 

I don't normally condemn before the facts, but in this case for similar incidents to happen at two different locations in a relatively short period of time speak for themselves.

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

A 5 percent reduction of salary for two months and a transfer to another school for inappropriately touching a girl?

 

What the hell is wrong with the Ministry of Education?

 

This guy should have been fired outright the first time and brought up on charges of molesting a child. 

 

Instead, here he is with another underage girl; it is sick and disgusting.

 

If he had been a farang, he'd be doing a 15-20 year stretch as a paedophile. But being a Thai he's seen just like a naughty little boy

6 minutes ago, hobobo said:

If he had been a farang, he'd be doing a 15-20 year stretch as a paedophile. But being a Thai he's seen just like a naughty little boy

You mean a farang in Thailand or a farang abroad?  In the UK he wouldn't get 15-20 years.  'Inappropriate touching' is a bit vague but if we assume general groping, he would probably get about 1-2 years, to serve half.  With prior convictions of a similar nature, maybe about double that.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

punishable with imprisonment of three to 15 years and a fine of Bt6,000-Bt30,000,

He'll split the difference and pay bent police 15K and be moved to another school.

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

while i share the largely western outrage, i do not believe thais do; seems another primitiveism here that we see from time-to-time

Please tell me what you would call the churches response to child molestation. For years they would transfer priest from one parish to another after caught fiddling with the alter boys. They would also be sent for treatment in New Mexico then sent out to the churches of New Mexico to abuse new victims.

 

It doesn't look like any group in charge handles this situation in an approiate manner

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I agree with you in this situation. But the Thai way of compensating a victim with money often has a practical purpose. Just putting someone in jail, such as in the case of a road accident, serves nobody. Different culture, different thinking.

Commit a crime, buy your way out, repeat, you reap what you sow

Where did the police "probe" which is defined as" explore or examine (something), especially with the hands or an instrument" Bet the School principal loved that investigation!

no surprise

 

 

11 hours ago, moe666 said:

Please tell me what you would call the churches response to child molestation. For years they would transfer priest from one parish to another after caught fiddling with the alter boys. They would also be sent for treatment in New Mexico then sent out to the churches of New Mexico to abuse new victims.

 

It doesn't look like any group in charge handles this situation in an approiate manner

working class right wing often deal with this..... appropriately