Student sex assault victim cautions other commuters

[snoop1130]

Student sex assault victim cautions other commuters

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

A 21-year-old female student who was groped by a man in his 40s in a crowded skytrain earlier this week has offered advice to other victims to catch offenders.

 

The student, whose name is being withheld, said she was unable to catch the man or take photos as evidence and none of the other passengers on the skytrain helped her. 

 

With a lack of solid evidence to file a formal complaint with police, the student said in her Facebook page that she hoped her story will serve as a caution to other commuters. 

 

"If you encounter such a thing and didn't catch an evidence photo in time, ask for the names and phone numbers of eye witnesses so they can be your witnesses when you lodge a complaint," she said.

 

"At the time, you can call for guards to catch the suspect as the skytrain also campaigns against sexual harassment."

 

The young woman, who was wearing a student uniform at the time, got on the skytrain from the Sala Daeng station in the afternoon on February 5. She said a 175cm-tall dark-skinned man in his 40s kept trying to touch her inappropriately and when he finally touched her private part, she shouted at him. The man quickly fled out of the train at the Surasak station. 

 

"It's frustrating, not only because I didn't catch him or have time to take evidence photos, but people on the platform just looked and let him get away," she said. 

 

She said she reported the incident to skytrain personnel but felt it was likely that he would not be caught. 

 

The following day, she contacted police and had skytrain personnel check CCTV camera footage of the area. She said it showed the suspect riding the Silom route train and standing at the first or last carriage which is usually crowded during rush hours. 

 

She said she would request copies of the CCTV footage to build her case.

 

Committing an indecent act against a person over 15 years of age who is unable to resist, is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, a Bt20,000 fine or both.

 

With a number of female commuters facing sexual harassment on Bangkok buses and other public transport vehicles, the “Theung Wela Pheuk”, or “Time to Intervene” campaign was launched to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in November 2017. Its aim is to encourage members of the public to intervene when witnessing offensive behaviour and make Bangkok public transport safe for women.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30363706

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-07

[fruitman]

In the West i would have punched him right between the eyes if i saw it happening.

 

In Thailand i just chuckle....

[Henrik Andersen]

36 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The student, whose name is being withheld, said she was unable to catch the man or take photos as evidence and none of the other passengers on the skytrain helped her.

Why are Thai people so helpful to others???  Shame on you people in this train..... 

[shady86]

I guessed everyone was packed like sardines and glued to their smartphones so no one bothered to help. It’s time to introduce women only coach. 

[GanDoonToonPet]

7 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

She said a 175cm-tall dark-skinned man in his 40s kept trying to touch her inappropriately and when he finally touched her private part, she shouted at him. The man quickly fled out of the train at the Surasak station. 

 

7 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"It's frustrating, not only because I didn't catch him or have time to take evidence photos, but people on the platform just looked and let him get away," she said. 

So the time between passengers becoming aware of the incident & 'the suspect' escaping out the door at the next stop was a matter of seconds? I can understand the young lady's frustration but the other passengers are hardly to blame for not intervening in this instance.

[Prairieboy]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Committing an indecent act against a person over 15 years of age who is unable to resist, is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, a Bt20,000 fine or both. 

Does this mean under 15 is OK????????????????

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, shady86 said:

I guessed everyone was packed like sardines and glued to their smartphones so no one bothered to help. It’s time to introduce women only coach. 

As long as they have a men only coach, and a ladyboy only coach as well.

[RotBenz8888]

16 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

Does this mean under 15 is OK????????????????

Should be castration, death penalty or both.

[jaiyen]

A simple response is to smile at the offender and as he turns to face you smash him in the nuts or the multiple areas around the face. He will be easy to identify when he gets off the train !!  For their own safety, I wish they would learn simple self defense techniques. Plenty of lessons on Youtube. Thai women are so scared of men.  Scroat, Throat, Eyes !!

[ChipButty]

Taser would do the job must be able to buy one on Sukhumvit 

[Baerboxer]

15 hours ago, fruitman said:

In the West i would have punched him right between the eyes if i saw it happening.

 

In Thailand i just chuckle....

 

That's rather sad.

[fruitman]

11 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

That's rather sad.

No it isn't.

 

The ladyboys in Pattaya, Samui and Phuket do the same to all males passing by....and the Thai think it's all good.

[Hanuman2547]

My Thai niece used to compete in TKD and holds a black belt, not sure what degree.  No one ever messed with her in school.  Now she is much older and works as a flight attendant for an international airline.  I'm sure that she would take care of business if some guy groped her on the Skytrain.

[digger70]

3 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

Does this mean under 15 is OK????????????????

Yea, very strange isn't it one would think that it wouldn't matter what the age one is , an assault is  an assault. 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

Why are Thai people so helpful to others???  Shame on you people in this train..... 

Because so many people in Thailand these days are carrying knives or some other kind of weapon... they have learnt through experience to not intervene !

 

[Mukdahanman]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a person over 15 years of age who is unable to resist

Don’t quite get that - shouldn’t it read ‘a person under 15’, which in this case wouldn’t be relevant? 

Unless it is referring to the Svengali like powers of the perpetrator 

[oldrunner]

Before getting to her "private parts" he had been molesting her. Fingers to his eyes may be helped deter this animal. These men know that Thai women are afraid of Thai men and are ready to abuse women, particularly those wearing a student's uniform.

[MuuKondiao]

16 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

 

So the time between passengers becoming aware of the incident & 'the suspect' escaping out the door at the next stop was a matter of seconds? I can understand the young lady's frustration but the other passengers are hardly to blame for not intervening in this instance.

What is wrong with you?

The article states that the pervert tried repeatedly and then touched her private part she shouted at him and he fled.... [ and then the passengers who had seen and heard the incident did not kick his legs out or trip him or grab him in an arm lock and pin him to the floor; just watched him perform the assault and stifled the normal, human impulse to intervene - possibly thinking "it ain't my problem and I ain't sticking my neck out for no one."]...

and then watched him get away.

It takes less than one second to react to a situation and decide to do the right thing or to not do the right thing.

In Thailand it is very common to not intervene when someone clearly needs help.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, MuuKondiao said:

just watched him perform the assault and stifled the normal, human impulse to intervene - possibly thinking "it ain't my problem and I ain't sticking my neck out for no one."]...

I would suggest not every culture has the 'white knight' impulse built in.

Asia is more a 'mind my own business' culture.

Then you have the middle eastern 'don't let her out the house alone' culture.

Edited February 8, 2019 by BritManToo