Court upholds death sentence for 2015 rape and murder of teenager

By Jakkapong Rawiwan 
The Nation

 

 

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld a primary court ruling sentencing to death a 36-year-old former village headman for murdering an 18-year-old schoolgirl during a rape attempt in Kalasin’s Kamalasai district in 2015.

 

The ruling also included an order for Ban Si Than former village headman Krittidech Rawengwan to pay the family of slain Rong Kham School student Ruadeewan “Nong Snow” Polprasit Bt2.39 million in compensation. 

 

The court found Krittidech guilty of killing Ruadeewan while trying to rape her. 

 

His claim of innocence was denied as evidence, including a human bite mark found on his finger and another wound on a testicle, had been put before the court.

 

Ruadeewan’s parents Krit and Lamyai Polprasit and relatives held the slain girl’s photograph as they gathered outside the Kalasin Provincial Court yesterday morning prior to the verdict reading. 

 

Lamyai became tearful and said the tiredness she had felt for over 900 days after the loss of her beloved daughter disappeared when she heard the latest verdict. She thanked officials involved in the case, along with police and media, for following through on the case until justice was served. She also thanked the public for their moral support.

 

The Court of Appeal found Krittidech guilty of killing the girl while trying to rape her on December 23, 2015 while she was riding her motorcycle home from school. 

 

Krittidech, pursuing her on another motorcycle, kicked the girl’s motorcycle to the ground and dragged her into a roadside ditch where he attempted to rape her. Ruadeewan fought him off but suffered serious injuries that caused her death two days later.

 

Krittidech, detained at the Khlong Phai Prison, was not in court but reportedly was notified about the latest verdict.

 

The family is struggling to cope with the loss of Ruadeewan.

 

“I still feel pain in my heart every time I pass the spot of her attack. Whenever I miss her, I look at her pictures on the wall or in her Facebook page. I keep dreaming of her and I wake crying,” Lamyai said. 

 

If the girl were alive today, she would have been studying at a nurse’s college as per her dream to become a nurse to help others, the mother said. 

 

The family also lost all of their savings to pay for funeral expenses and the lawsuit, and had to mortgage their rice field to keep the family afloat during the court battle, Lamyai said. 

 

“Our family will fight until the end so the attacker will get a maximum punishment, especially the death sentence, so that this will serve as a precautionary tale so it won’t happen in Thai society again,” she said.

 

Ruadeewan’s 31-year-old sister Pattranit Polprasert said: “Heaven has eyes so the innocent person’s death won’t be in vain and the one who committed a crime is punished for his deed.” 

 

Neighbour Suthee Arunpas, 50, said he sympathised with the family and wants to see capital punishment for the culprit, so no one would follow in his footsteps and break the law – especially in rape-murder cases.

 

According to human-rights group Amnesty International, multiple studies have discredited claims that capital punishment deters crime. “There is no evidence that the death penalty is any more effective than life imprisonment,” according to Amnesty, which also notes that many executed people were later found to have been innocent.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30350246

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-7-17

Good

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

According to human-rights group Amnesty International, multiple studies have discredited claims that capital punishment deters crime.

 

It does prevent repeat offenders. And, that's a good start.

A nice new and  provided SQ 27 gauge needle for you

happening soon.

16 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

A nice new and  provided SQ 27 gauge needle for you

happening soon.

That's too humane.tied up,weighted down and thrown in a klong.

I am absolutely, steadfastly, adamant against the death penalty. 

But in this case, I had to make a rare exception. She survived being kicked off her motorcycle to the ground. She survived being raped. But at some point, he kicked her or punched her so hard in the stomach that her liver burst. And that's what killed her. 

I absolutely and unreservedly support his death by execution. 

Take him to that special room for that special  vaccination.

 

I reckon Thailand is going be executing a lot  of bad boys in the coming few years. 

 

5 minutes ago, greenchair said:

I am absolutely, steadfastly, adamant against the death penalty.

But in this case, I had to make a rare exception. She survived being kicked off her motorcycle to the ground. She survived being raped. But at some point, he kicked her or punched her so hard in the stomach that her liver burst. And that's what killed her.

I absolutely and unreservedly support his death by execution.

 

We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. So now we are saying it's sometimes quite okay to kill people even if NOT in self defence right?

 

To take a life when a life has been lost is called REVENGE, not Justice. Vengence is the main reason for support for death penalties - screaming mobs outside the jailhouse...

 

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

 

 

50 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

It does prevent repeat offenders. And, that's a good start.

And. That is the truth . It may not stop that criminal but they don' t do it again . Must at least send a message to those contemplating!!!!. But Amnesty Internatioal can't read minds  so have  no evidence for their assumptions

10 minutes ago, ben2talk said:

Vengence is the main reason for support for death penalties - screaming mobs outside the jailhouse...

What are you talking about , its wrong to describe her Family as a "screaming mob outside a jailhouse" . 

11 minutes ago, ben2talk said:

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

And that usually ends up with them getting freed a few years later

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

What are you talking about , its wrong to describe her Family as a "screaming mob outside a jailhouse" .

That's right, I didn't do that. 

I simply can't go along with the 'mob' - excluding her family (if I were her family I'd execute the guy myself).

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

And that usually ends up with them getting freed a few years later

I don't think so. I guess you know more about Thai prisons than I do.

1 minute ago, ben2talk said:

I don't think so. I guess you know more about Thai prisons than I do.

Quite often murderers have been seen walking the streets a few years later after getting convicted of murder (in Thailand)

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Quite often murderers have been seen walking the streets a few years later after getting convicted of murder (in Thailand)

Ok, so basically any discussion of 'justice' in this country is a waste of time. Just kill him and have done with it!

In cases such as this the family should be allowed to take some trophies before the execution.  This may serve as a better precautionary tale so it won’t happen in Thai society again.

3 hours ago, rodney earl said:

Good

Good! As the sage's say "revenge is a dish best served cold!"

2 hours ago, ben2talk said:

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

...while society literally pays.

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

Quite often murderers have been seen walking the streets a few years later after getting convicted of murder (in Thailand)

 

Unfortunately, that does seem to be the truth here. Because of some very odd prison system policies on "good behavior" credits and, probably moreso, the annual pardons and sentence reductions that are issued by you know who.

 

I can recall any number of different cases where a criminal who had no business being out walking the streets being released and becoming a danger to society and re-offending.

 

I don't support the death penalty. But I also don't support letting murderers walk the streets.

 

 

4 hours ago, ben2talk said:

 

We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. So now we are saying it's sometimes quite okay to kill people even if NOT in self defence right?

 

To take a life when a life has been lost is called REVENGE, not Justice. Vengence is the main reason for support for death penalties - screaming mobs outside the jailhouse...

 

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

 

 

In the past I would agree with you. 

The problem is, life isn't life. Now, it's rehabilitation, which I don't even mind that. 

But many of them are out in 10 years. 

The Thai girl that chopped up her friend that was only in her 20s, recieved 34 years. 

After all the reductions she will be out in about 15. The state doesn't want to keep them because it's too expensive. Not sorry for this one at all. 

4 hours ago, ben2talk said:

 

We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. So now we are saying it's sometimes quite okay to kill people even if NOT in self defence right?

 

To take a life when a life has been lost is called REVENGE, not Justice. Vengence is the main reason for support for death penalties - screaming mobs outside the jailhouse...

 

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

 

 

I dont believe in the death penalty, however the penalty for murder or rape should reflect the seriousness of the crime. The issue i have with the death penalty is mainly due to innocent people being falsely convicted of crimes and i think that most people would agree that the Thai justice system lacks the skill and resources to carry out proper investigations

5 hours ago, Aupee said:

And. That is the truth . It may not stop that criminal but they don' t do it again . Must at least send a message to those contemplating!!!!. But Amnesty Internatioal can't read minds  so have  no evidence for their assumptions

There is no evidence that the death penalty acts as a deterrent. 

 

Amnesty don't need to read minds, they can just read the facts and evidence surrounding the debate on the death penalty. 

Edited July 18, 20187 yr by Bluespunk

When the Government puts someone out of their misery for a horendous crime they are enforcing justice (not killing) and one thing is certain they are not going to commit a similiar crime in the future. I say good riddance to these scum bags. !!!

11 hours ago, greenchair said:

I am absolutely, steadfastly, adamant against the death penalty. 

But in this case, I had to make a rare exception. She survived being kicked off her motorcycle to the ground. She survived being raped. But at some point, he kicked her or punched her so hard in the stomach that her liver burst. And that's what killed her. 

I absolutely and unreservedly support his death by execution. 

Your first and last sentences are an absolute contradiction!  However, I believe you did reach the correct conclusion finally. 

 

As many posters have said before, even if the death penalty does not actually act as a deterrent, it does ensure that the criminal can not repeat his/her offence.  Clearly, the evidence of guilt must be overwhelming.   Quite a few lives would have been saved had the authorities not released a previous rapist/murderer, who went on to re-offend.  In Thailand and in many other countries, a "life" sentence rarely means that and many are released early for some reason or other.

 

To reach the right decision on the death penalty in this case, you merely have to imagine that the victim was your daughter!

12 hours ago, ben2talk said:

 

We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. So now we are saying it's sometimes quite okay to kill people even if NOT in self defence right?

 

To take a life when a life has been lost is called REVENGE, not Justice. Vengence is the main reason for support for death penalties - screaming mobs outside the jailhouse...

 

The ultimate deterrent, surely, would be a lifetime in the dungeon with no hope of seeing daylight again.

 

 

Life time in a dungeon without daylight is extreme revenge and inhumane, removal from the gene pool is quick and effective and certainly more humane than the primitive lock-them-up-for-good mantra.

12 hours ago, ben2talk said:

Ok, so basically any discussion of 'justice' in this country is a waste of time. Just kill him and have done with it!

justice, unfortunately is closely related to money and position in Thailand, so the use of justice and Thailand in the same article are diametrically opposed.

8 hours ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

Your first and last sentences are an absolute contradiction!  However, I believe you did reach the correct conclusion finally. 

 

As many posters have said before, even if the death penalty does not actually act as a deterrent, it does ensure that the criminal can not repeat his/her offence.  Clearly, the evidence of guilt must be overwhelming.   Quite a few lives would have been saved had the authorities not released a previous rapist/murderer, who went on to re-offend.  In Thailand and in many other countries, a "life" sentence rarely means that and many are released early for some reason or other.

 

To reach the right decision on the death penalty in this case, you merely have to imagine that the victim was your daughter!

Yes, I was thinking that. 

Imagine how it would feel knowing that a person that did that to my daughter was now enjoying his life up country after 10 or 15 years prison. 

It would be a living hell. 

Though I think the death penalty should be used for heinous crimes. Not some 20 year that killed someone in a robbery gone wrong. Rape/murder, child rape/murder, henious torture /murder and multiple murders. Sometimes it's over used like in America. 

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8.) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

I have read that 60% of all crime is commited by repeat offenders. The death penalty certainly stops that crime. The government killing someone is not killing it is enforcing justice. Turn the other cheek is a load of rubbish. I believe in an eye for an eye.!!!