Koh Tao rape claim dismissed by Thai police, citing lack of evidence and no DNA

[JLCrab]

8 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

My trip to all those young backpackers = stay away from Thailand in general and such mafia-infested islands like Koh Tao. Visit i.e. Myanmar instead, more beautiful, more pristine and with much nicer people.

Do you maybe have a link for them to the Yangon Pub Crawl?

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

The alleged rape happened in Thailand. The UK police have zero jurisdiction. If people are 'slagging off' the Thai police, wouldn't it be a good idea for the UK police to step forward and say they tested it. Seems it would save a lot of bother. 

 

Anyhoo, you didn't answer my question - did the UK authorities confirm they personally tested the

t-shirt? 

Why don't you ask them as this seems to be a major factor in your assessment of the situation?

 

From the articles printed so far it is difficult to say who carried out the tests. But equal to your logic, the UK authorities did not say that they did not carry out the tests. Silence does not make something true or false.

 

'British police also handed over a T-shirt the 19-year-old woman wore on June 25, the day of the alleged attack, and forensic tests found the DNA of a woman and a man but no trace of the attacker’s semen, as she claimed. '

[bannork]

11 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Of course, no other outcome possible. Some shopping could be done on the way so the trip was not completely wasted.

My trip to all those young backpackers = stay away from Thailand in general and such mafia-infested islands like Koh Tao. Visit i.e. Myanmar instead, more beautiful, more pristine and with much nicer people. 

And then it won't be so pristine.

Oh, the irony of tourism-' take me to an unspoilt place, only me of course, no other tourists, that would spoil my pristine experience,'

[jkcjag]

"The British woman had said she was raped on Koh Tao on June 25th but only reported the incident to the police on neighbouring Koh Phangan on July 4th. "

If you were raped wouldn't you want to report it immediately, not 9 days later...if not on the island then an urgent trip to wherever necessary else to do it...even go to Bangkok and the British Consulate...IMMEDIATELY?

 

"British police also handed over a T-shirt the 19-year-old woman wore on June 25, the day of the alleged attack, and forensic tests found the DNA of a woman and a man but no trace of the attacker’s semen, as she claimed. "

Why do the parents claim that they were surprised that there was no DNA on the T-shirt? It's stated that there was...but there was no semen.

 

"The girl is unable to state where the alleged attack took place, or offer any description of any attacker" "...she could not identify the site of the attack nor the identity of the attacker. She could not even provide details on how the attack happened"

So she states she was raped...don't know where, don't know how, don't know by whom...very useful indeed to help with the inquiry.

 

Why did she claim there was semen on the T-shirt if there wasn't?

 

"Earlier this month she was interviewed by Thai police, interpreters and officers from the UK."

Not just the RTP.

 

"Thai police had merely tried to clarify facts as the publicity has tarnished the country’s reputation. "

This was stated by the RTP themselves. Why wouldn't they do that...wouldn't you? Tourism is a key component of the economy in Thailand.

 

The parents ask "how can the case close if there is no concrete evidence?"

It's because there is no concrete evidence! I think that's quite normal everywhere.

 

"To conclude, there is no new evidence in this case”..."“However if there is any new evidence or the claimant comes to Thailand to provide more information, we will be ready to reopen the investigation,”

That sounds like normal procedure for most countries, doesn't it?.

 

So, sadly, perhaps she was raped...but based on what evidence there is i.e. just her own claim and nothing more...it rather sounds like she was under the influence of something. But even that is rather odd, since you would think that she would remember who she was socializing with prior to apparently losing her senses, and thus have some idea of a possible attacker...but she does not even know that it appears. 

Perhaps if she had reported it immediately there may have been a chance to check on any potential culprit before they left the island, however, with no description of anything or anyone, or any witnesses or any other evidence at all even that probably would have been a fruitless task. To prosecute a person for such a crime does require proof and solid evidence of some sort, does it not?

 

[shackleton]

This  story is now finished no point in keep going on about whether  she was raped or not

everyone will have their views 

will it deter tourists going to Kho  Tao 

I think not 

[smileydude]

I disagree with how all this was handled by the RTP.  It looks more like a quick win discrediting witch hunt/country face-saving stunt then what it should be: A sincere approach of concern for the safety of tourists and the victim given the benefit of the doubt and treated with dignity instead of contempt until proven otherwise.  They should have gotten the shirt checked by both the metropolitan police forensics and RTP forensics to confirm for fairness and credibility.

 

Yeah in the end she could have been drunk, confused and it never happened or she could have been drugged, raped and couldn’t recall anything.  Lots of date rape drugs for example midazolam cause anterograde amnesia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midazolam

 

I akin all this effort and use of taxpayers money to do a press briefing (confirming it was all bogus) thinking they will save Thailand’s tourism image like the saying “riding an elephant to catch a cricket”.

 

As a local I am more embarrassed by these charades then confident of our LE abilities.

 

Social media PR can turn us into PR media whores.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by smileydude

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, Zack61 said:

Yes. Would be interested to hear from the old plod or have they been instructed to not comment to maintain the relationship for the sake of diplomacy.

Perhaps the UK police are saying nothing because they found nothing?

 

In a politicaly correct country, the police would not want to accuse the young lady of telling lies.

[Tropicalevo]

24 minutes ago, britishrepublican said:

If a woman does not go to the police immediately, its makes me very skeptical about her allegations. There is too many women making false allegations and it only harms those that have been assaulted.

 

Well done to the police for taking it seriously enough to travel to the UK to speak with the women that made these spurious allegations. 

Well said.

 

The sad fact is that every time there is a 'false rape' issue, it makes the real victims harder to believe AND less likely to come forward.

[lvr181]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

therefore we cannot charge her [with making] a false claim,”

Interesting. ????

 

So Govt spokespersons who say no flooding will happen in Bangkok, we are going to fix Bangkok traffic problems in 30 days and there will be ramps for the disable to use to access Govt. offices are NOT false claims (they never happened either)? Clearly a case of do what I say, not what I do, or one rule for them (the ruling class and military) and one rule for everyone else! ???? 

[cyberfarang]

12 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Of course, no other outcome possible. Some shopping could be done on the way so the trip was not completely wasted.

My trip to all those young backpackers = stay away from Thailand in general and such mafia-infested islands like Koh Tao. Visit i.e. Myanmar instead, more beautiful, more pristine and with much nicer people. 

No one is disputing that these tourist islands are heavily run by mafia outfits and corrupt officials. But are not most adult entertainment venues worldwide run by mafia and corrupt company institutions? It has been widely known for decades that Las Vegas and many European red lights districts are mafia owned. So what? What does this prove? The biggest downfall of young tourists that visit these Thai islands and Full Loon parties is what they get into when they are there. Many young westerners go there to do drugs, drink and get laid. It was the same back during the 1970s and 1980s when Majorca was very popular with young European tourists. I know, I used to holiday there myself when single, foot loose and fancy free, have the photos to prove it.

 

Back then I witnessed young women openly having sex with guys in the discos while we all applauded, just a laugh to us, and most of those girls hated themselves in the morning after being what we described as slut shamed and unable face their friends. One woman from Liverpool I knew there, was married, her husband still in England. When the word got back to her husband it ended in divorce.

 

I know exactly what goes on at these places and many girls do get carried away and there will be guys willing to take advantage of the situation, the girls doing things they regret later on. This is fact, not just my opinion.

[sweatalot]

1 hour ago, KKBrian said:

they are saying  "it has been concluded there was no rape"

and that is impossible to conclude.

 

They might say "we found no evidence"

 

But how did they find evidence "that there was no rape"

impossible.

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by sweatalot

[rkidlad]

25 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Why don't you ask them as this seems to be a major factor in your assessment of the situation?

 

From the articles printed so far it is difficult to say who carried out the tests. But equal to your logic, the UK authorities did not say that they did not carry out the tests. Silence does not make something true or false.

 

'British police also handed over a T-shirt the 19-year-old woman wore on June 25, the day of the alleged attack, and forensic tests found the DNA of a woman and a man but no trace of the attacker’s semen, as she claimed. '

Of course it's a major factor in my assessment. I'd say it's massively important all round who did or didn't conduct the DNA tests. If the UK authorities come out and say they found no semen, I'll believe them. 

 

Silence doesn't make sense. There was a big fiasco with the 2014 murders and DNA evidence. I'd say the fact the British authorities' haven't categorically stated they tested the DNA themselves speaks volumes so far. 

[Grusa]

With the power of 20/20 hindsight, If this young lady had used any common sense at any stage of planning or executing her holiday, she would have discovered that Koh Tao has an evil reputation and taken suitable care not to get blind drunk, not to get stoned, not to be alone in the company of stray men, not to put herself at risk of rape or worse, and not to blab about her failure to take due care of herself.  

 

Her story may or may not be true, I don't think she even knows herself for sure. What is clear is that she has done herself nothing but harm, and nobody involved with the case has failed to be tarnished in one way or another.

 

I don't recall her age, but it strikes me as another case of youth not maturing until 32.

[Crash999]

47 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

My trip to all those young backpackers = stay away from Thailand in general and such mafia-infested islands like Koh Tao. Visit i.e. Myanmar instead, more beautiful, more pristine and with much nicer people. 

Unless you happen to look like a Bangladeshi!

[Crash999]

32 minutes ago, smileydude said:

They should have gotten the shirt checked by both the metropolitan police forensics and RTP forensics to confirm for fairness and credibility.

 

Was it not checked by the Met police? T-shirt was handed over to them for the purposes of testing. 

[cyberfarang]

5 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

and that is impossible to conclude.

 

They might say "we found no evidence"

 

But how did they find evidence "that there was no rape"

impossible.

 

Let say for example the girl was drugged, taken somewhere and raped. But even if she was, the girl must have remembered who she was with and where she was before the drug was given to her. So why have the last persons to see her not been questioned or come forward? Someone must have seen something. Also, who was the smiling guy standing over her when she alleged woke up on the beach with her underwear missing? No description given. Could it be that the girl deliberately did not want to show her underwear for evidence as it would have proven she`d been partying after the word got out to her boyfriend. These factors and a lot more is what makes her story so unbelievable. It has more holes than a Swiss cheese as probably did her underwear. 

[hsovereign]

Another lucky escape for the evil that terrorises Koh Tao.  One day the local people will be able to shed light on to the corrupt cockroaches that run things there. Shame that the British police let a chance to expose the culprits go. They should have taken a dna sample first.  When will it end? 

[micmichd]

18 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I have to say that if there isn't some kind of corroborating evidence, I don't see how a case could proceed, even though I tend to believe her; how could you toss someone in jail for several years based solely on what one person says?. There needs to be more evidence than what we have seen to do that.

 

That said, nothing changes for me and my two questions;

 

1. Do you believe that the police on Koh Tao were seeking justice for the complainant or were they seeking to protect Koh Tao's tourism industry? I believe the former.
2. Would you allow your wife/daughter/sister/female friend/loved ones to stay on that island? No, not a chance in hell.

 

Simply put, there have been too many unexplained incidences over the last few years to permit me to feel comfortable telling anyone to go there. And, if I can't honestly say to people "Go", then I say "Don't go!".

 

Until the police can provide security guarantees to a reasonable level, I will say to one and all, "Boycott!" until they do; the onus is on them...

 

 

 

Just an answer to 2:

This woman was not a baby anymore, so she needed a permission from no-one. 

I used to hitchhike through Europe and UK even at the age of 15, and my mother allowed no-one (not even the police) to stop me. Nothing ever happened to me. 

 

You know what they do nowadays in Heidelberg (Germany - where I come from) with women like that?

Arrest her for drinking in public and lock them up in a mental hospital to cure them from alcoholism. And eventually put her under nanny state surveillance if she doesn't comply. You might be allowed to visit your "beloved one" from time to time - maybe yes, maybe not. Be rest-assured your "beloved one" will not love you any longer if you change sides and comply with her suppressors. 

Be glad they don't have a totalitarian nanny state in Thailand.

[Crash999]

13 minutes ago, hsovereign said:

Another lucky escape for the evil that terrorises Koh Tao.  One day the local people will be able to shed light on to the corrupt cockroaches that run things there. Shame that the British police let a chance to expose the culprits go. They should have taken a dna sample first.  When will it end? 

That's funny, whenever local people voice out anything contradictory to the Death Island narrative they're called liars, biased, or afraid. 

 

As for the Brits, who knew the UK government would stand up to Russia but fold like a house of cards when facing the might of the all-powerful Koh Tao mafia. 

[Wake Up]

19 hours ago, dcsw53 said:

Nicely swept under the carpet. No semen so no case. I guess that running a DNA test would have been a step too far and might have prompted further investigation.

DNA tests were done by Thai forensics. They showed traces of the woman and a man but no semen. I am sure the British police had access to do their own DNA tests but no results were reported. 

[jrjrjr]

And cops on KT do not kidnap teenagers who some some weed to get 50000 or more from them...

 

 

[micmichd]

42 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

No one is disputing that these tourist islands are heavily run by mafia outfits and corrupt officials. But are not most adult entertainment venues worldwide run by mafia and corrupt company institutions? It has been widely known for decades that Las Vegas and many European red lights districts are mafia owned. So what? What does this prove? The biggest downfall of young tourists that visit these Thai islands and Full Loon parties is what they get into when they are there. Many young westerners go there to do drugs, drink and get laid. It was the same back during the 1970s and 1980s when Majorca was very popular with young European tourists. I know, I used to holiday there myself when single, foot loose and fancy free, have the photos to prove it.

 

Back then I witnessed young women openly having sex with guys in the discos while we all applauded, just a laugh to us, and most of those girls hated themselves in the morning after being what we described as slut shamed and unable face their friends. One woman from Liverpool I knew there, was married, her husband still in England. When the word got back to her husband it ended in divorce.

 

I know exactly what goes on at these places and many girls do get carried away and there will be guys willing to take advantage of the situation, the girls doing things they regret later on. This is fact, not just my opinion.

So what? 

These women were over age, their sex was consensual at the time, so they had to face the consequences. A post-sexual regret changes nothing, exactly nothing. Even if some puritanistic neo-feminists claim the opposite now.  

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Of course, no other outcome possible. Some shopping could be done on the way so the trip was not completely wasted.

My trip to all those young backpackers = stay away from Thailand in general and such mafia-infested islands like Koh Tao. Visit i.e. Myanmar instead, more beautiful, more pristine and with much nicer people. 

Would hardly make any difference. 

Most sexual contacts will be among foreigners anyway, they use the natives only as scapegoats. 

[Billthekiwi]

This girl claimed to have been drugged before the "rape".

I actually am not surprised that she doesn't remember a lot.

 

That's the whole point of drugging someone isn't it?

 

Because someone like this can't remember the details I don't think that she should be threatened or her complaint discarded.

 

It is not a good look for the Police and as for that island... no one should go there ever again.

[sawadee1947]

19 hours ago, rkidlad said:

The RTP spent all that money to get a statement they had already received before. Well, at least they have the t-shirt now. 

 

Maybe by spending all this money and having the RTP’s top dogs making statements on an alleged rape they think they’re further cementing in people’s minds that it didn’t happen. For me, it just further cements my initial thoughts that they’re doing all they can to protect the island’s reputation and bottom line. 

 

 

Island's Reputation? 

Geez, when I first visited the island in the late eighties, there were a lot of kind of Hippies, junkies and other filthy people there. 

Up to now there is no change. 

And the former beauty of this island is defenitely gone by the wind

[Pedrogaz]

Well fair enough.....maybe it didn't happen or maybe it happened and there was no evidence. At east the RTP have had a lookout the case instead of saying it didn't happen before they even investigated.

[Kadilo]

53 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

......... It has more holes than a Swiss cheese as probably did her underwear. 

Struth!

[ronaldo0]

Well they would look a bit silly if they had to turn round and say it did happen after saying it didn't , so best stick to your guns as they say !! ????

[JLCrab]

14 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

Well they would look a bit silly if they had to turn round and say it did happen after saying it didn't , so best stick to your guns as they say !! ????

So maybe they should say it did happen when it didn't happen so those that say that they would never admit that it did happen if it did happen will be happy they said it did happen when it really didn't happen 

[cyberfarang]

19 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Island's Reputation? 

Geez, when I first visited the island in the late eighties, there were a lot of kind of Hippies, junkies and other filthy people there. 

Up to now there is no change. 

And the former beauty of this island is defenitely gone by the wind

Agree with that. 30 years ago Spain and Majorca began to take off as a favourite holiday destination for young British tourists on budgets, for cheap booze, getting high on drugs and easy women. Since then with low budget cost air fares and cheap guest houses, those kinds of tourists are preferring Thailand. These people have no respect for the country, believing anything goes and it`s acceptable to act like animals because they are on holiday, that has destroyed the beautiful environments on those islands. Nothing will be done because there is too much money involved.

 

Wherever these young tourists go, there will always be trouble and although there are probably people making lots of money, this actually has an opposite affect of damaging a country`s tourist industry and image.