Many rape cases stalled or 'settled' by police, says foundation

By KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION

 

 

MOST RAPE CASES – including child rape cases – are “settled” by police before they reach court, according to the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, which monitors rape case reports and helps victims of domestic and sexual violence.

 

A series of child-rape reports recently point to the prevalence of sexual violence against young girls in Thailand. In one case, a girl was almost raped by a motorcyclist after he allegedly convinced her he had been sent by her father to pick her up.

 

 

Another case took place in the school’s toilets when a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by students aged 15, 16 and 18. The incident was discovered when the teacher found the girl bleeding heavily and alerted the mother. The mother then filed a complaint with police early this month, but grew impatient with their lack of progress and contacted a woman’s foundation for help to bring the abusers to court. 

 

Most rape cases are halted during the police stage and very few reach the court, confirms Angkana Intasa, senior member of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation. Her organisation monitors sexual violence cases reported in newspapers and helps victims of rape.

 

In 2015, said Angkana, media reports of sexual violence numbered as high as 306 cases — the majority being rape cases.

 

Very few of those cases reached the court that year, the foundation’s research found. Out of 30 rape reports received directly from victims, only one made it to court.

 

For women, the main barrier to justice is a culture of victim-blaming prevalent among police, Angkana said. Among the questions that investigators asked victims were, what they were wearing, why they didn’t scream or call for help during the attack, why they lacked bruises or other signs of violence, and even whether they had falsified the report so as to blackmail the accused. 

 

Many cases of child rape also come to a halt at the investigation stage, or are “settled” by the police intervention, she said.

 

File photo

 

However, for child victims, family shame is the biggest barrier to bringing the rapist to justice. The idea that being raped brings shame on the girl and thus should be covered up allows the rapist to escape the courts.

 

“[The police and the victims] think being raped is shameful, that it is something that shouldn’t be publicised. The police often think it is better to settle the case quietly, to avoid making the child suffer from shame and trauma,” she said.

 

“So what we see is the officers often write the report, but don’t put the case forward, and many help settle the case,” she said. 

 

If rapists are not brought to justice, they could repeat the crime – with many children ending up victims of the same rapist. This creates a dangerous environment for women and children, said Angkana. Young children, for example, are very vulnerable to abuse. “We found that oftentimes children are raped by their neighbour, school seniors, or adults whom their parents have entrusted to take care of them, or people in the community,” Angkana said.

 

“And once abused, they are often too young to understand that they were raped. Parents often don’t find out until later,” she said. 

 

In the rape case cited above, the 4-year-old girl told her mother that “my senior stabbed me with a ‘knife’”.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354904

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-21

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

If rapists are not brought to justice, they could repeat the crime

Oh, they absolutely will be repeating the crime. What a horrible read this whole story has been. 

 

And to think there are some people on the ‘British girl claims rape on Kho Tao’ who really don’t understand (nor do they care to) why rape allegations need to be treated with the upmost earnestness. 

 

 

 

Police and Army are an utter disgrace for this country... If only they would simply do their duty instead to fill their pockets with money, this would be a much better country.

If this is true,shame,shame on the Police, this is not how things

should be resolved in a civilised society, the victims deserve to 

be given justice,and that is the job of the Police to bring the

perpetrators to court,and it seems in many cases this is not

happening,

regards worgeordie

Thai Police are the scourge of this nation.  They are judge, jury and executioner.  Thailand will always stink of corruption until the police are stripped of their powers and made accountable.

This is a Male Dominant Society, with all the evils that brings with it, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

 

11 hours ago, webfact said:

 

For women, the main barrier to justice is a culture of victim-blaming prevalent among police, Angkana said. Among the questions that investigators asked victims were, what they were wearing, why they didn’t scream or call for help during the attack, why they lacked bruises or other signs of violence, and even whether they had falsified the report so as to blackmail the accused. 

What century does this police force belong to? Was this the type of police procedure that the young British girl was subjected to on Koh Pangan?  Sack the <deleted> lot of them and start afresh!

3 hours ago, webfact said:

For women, the main barrier to justice is a culture of victim-blaming prevalent among police, Angkana said. Among the questions that investigators asked victims were, what they were wearing, why they didn’t scream or call for help during the attack, why they lacked bruises or other signs of violence, and even whether they had falsified the report so as to blackmail the accused. 

So what would be said if a women or man knowing their fate asked if there attacker would use a condom? To me that is very quick thinking by a victim to avoid any sexual disease or pregnancy.  

part of the reason a lot more female cops are sorely needed.

This is a Male Dominant Society, with all the evils that brings with it, and I don't see it changing any time soon.
 

Very male dominated.
Even aids is considered a "lady disease"
That's what Thais call it.

Sent from my EVA-L19 using Tapatalk

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Among the questions that investigators asked victims were, what they were wearing, why they didn’t scream or call for help during the attack, why they lacked bruises or other signs of violence, and even whether they had falsified the report so as to blackmail the accused. 

All sensible questions to ask IMHO.

Missed out asking them 'why they were alone', My Thai daughter won't even get on a songtaw if she's the only female passenger. Respectable ladies are taught to always travel in groups.

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by BritManToo

How exactly are they settled,one imagines we are talking a compensation payment.

When criminals police criminals, we get this.

29 minutes ago, dpspike said:

Meanwhile in the USA, the mere accusation of sexual assault, despite being reported 30+ years afterward, can derail a Presidential appointment.

Ah, like saying you like to grab women by the p****? Seemed to work out for Trump. 

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All sensible questions to ask IMHO.

Missed out asking them 'why they were alone', My Thai daughter won't even get on a songtaw if she's the only female passenger. Respectable ladies are taught to always travel in groups.

 

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All sensible questions to ask IMHO.

Missed out asking them 'why they were alone', My Thai daughter won't even get on a songtaw if she's the only female passenger. Respectable ladies are taught to always travel in groups.

Must be great to be a 'respectable lady'. Living a life of constantly travelling in groups for fear of being raped, or in fear that if you do find yourself alone and being raped, that some low-IQ sociopaths will ask, "Why were you alone!?". 

 

You said in a previous post that you hate everyone equally - does this include children? 

 

 

11 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

How exactly are they settled,one imagines we are talking a compensation payment.

In some cases probably, but others like KT involving  influential people settlements make the case go away, or have happy endings for the influential!

30 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

You said in a previous post that you hate everyone equally - does this include children? 

No, I said dislike everyone equally, I'm sorry you are unable to discriminate between 'hate' and 'dislike', clearly, in your mind, they are the same thing.

 

The 4-year-old in the (kindergarten section of) school, why was she left alone?

Clearly a teacher or supervisor must be responsible who allowed this to happen.

I can't imagine anyone leaving a 4-year-old alone, in the UK that is a criminal act of negligence (even in their own home).

There is something wrong with the schools here, they can't seem to competently care for younger children.

There needs to be a few schools closed, teachers sacked and large damages awarded in these frequent cases of criminal negligence. 

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by BritManToo

28 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

No, I said dislike everyone equally, I'm sorry you are unable to discriminate between 'hate' and 'dislike', clearly, in your mind, they are the same thing.

 

The 4-year-old in the (kindergarten section of) school, why was she left alone?

Clearly a teacher or supervisor must be responsible who allowed this to happen.

I can't imagine anyone leaving a 4-year-old alone, in the UK that is a criminal act of negligence (even in their own home).

There is something wrong with the schools here, they can't seem to competently care for younger children.

There needs to be a few schools closed, teachers sacked and large damages awarded in these frequent cases of criminal negligence. 

When you say you dislike something specifically; rude people, tardy people, etc, then it's very different to hate. When you say you dislike 'everyone', there's a certain implication of hate. It's illogical to dislike everyone. You don't know everyone. 

 

Anyhoo, I'll rephrase the question - you dislike everyone equally - does that include children?

 

Why on earth are you asking me why a 4 year old was left alone? How would I know? I don't have anything to do with that school or the rules here.

8 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

you dislike everyone equally - does that include children?

Not really, I wait until they're adults before I start disliking them.

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not really, I wait until they're adults before I start disliking them.

Ah! And would that be at right on the nose of them turning from 17 to 18? 

 

Ridiculous comment. 

1 minute ago, rkidlad said:

Ah! And would that be at right on the nose of them turning from 17 to 18? 

 

Would depend on the country. Uk, would be 16, France would be 15, Thailand would be 20

(not sure what country would be 18?, I'm thinking consent, you might be thinking voting)

4 hours ago, newcomer71 said:

Police and Army are an utter disgrace for this country... If only they would simply do their duty instead to fill their pockets with money, this would be a much better country.

Be a much better world if this was followed universally. 

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

No, I said dislike everyone equally, I'm sorry you are unable to discriminate between 'hate' and 'dislike', clearly, in your mind, they are the same thing.

 

The 4-year-old in the (kindergarten section of) school, why was she left alone?

Clearly a teacher or supervisor must be responsible who allowed this to happen.

I can't imagine anyone leaving a 4-year-old alone, in the UK that is a criminal act of negligence (even in their own home).

There is something wrong with the schools here, they can't seem to competently care for younger children.

There needs to be a few schools closed, teachers sacked and large damages awarded in these frequent cases of criminal negligence. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-45127284

 

You sure about that?

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Would depend on the country. Uk, would be 16, France would be 15, Thailand would be 20

(not sure what country would be 18?, I'm thinking consent, you might be thinking voting)

You tell me? I don't know what your definition of an adult is. Mine is 18 as it's what most of the world consider to be an adult. 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation

I'm surprised. So it's not only those pesky farangs who trample on Thailand's cops squeaky clean reputation. 

How depressing. I can only imagine how police "settle" the case.

Sounds like the Catholic church 

3 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

How exactly are they settled,one imagines we are talking a compensation payment.

To "all" involved.............?

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

All sensible questions to ask IMHO.

Missed out asking them 'why they were alone', My Thai daughter won't even get on a songtaw if she's the only female passenger. Respectable ladies are taught to always travel in groups.

All pathetically biased questions to ask IMHO.  The questions are designed to cast doubt on the woman's story and create a scenario where she can be blamed for bringing it upon herself.  The question of 'why were they alone' is the sort asked in societies where fundamentalist religious types hold sway.  

I understand your daughter's decision not to travel in a songtaw if alone however we should be asking why it should be necessary.  As for respectable ladies being taught to travel in groups, that does sound a little judgmental of women and their place in society (as directed by men).  Any woman should be respected.

4 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

part of the reason a lot more female cops are sorely needed.

Yes and they are just trying to make this impossible in the future, banning females from becoming police officers......