Laws on sexual crime toughened

[webfact]

Laws on sexual crime toughened

By Chularat Saengpassa 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

THAILAND HAS toughened its laws related to rape in a bid to better prevent, or at least curb, sexual crimes.

 

Sexual attacks against children below the age of 13, for example, will result in life in prison under the tougher law, while penalties will double for rapists who share recordings of the assault. The new law also recognises sexual crimes against men and corpses. 

 

Promulgated in the Royal Gazette on Monday, the act to amend the Criminal Code’s rape section prescribes harsher punishments against sexual attackers and recognises new forms of the crime. Death penalty will be given in cases where the victim dies as a result of sexual violence. 

 

Panadda Wongphudee, a beauty queen-turned-campaigner, has hailed the new law as being more comprehensive and in line with the modern context.

 

“For instance, it addresses the issue of audio and video recordings of sexual assaults,” she said, adding that under this law, police can no longer push victims to settle the matter out of court. 

 

Jadet Chaowilai, director of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP), said yesterday that police usually try to mediate when rape complaints are filed. 

 

“This happens in cases that have not received media attention,” he said. 

 

 

WMP has been following reports in 13 newspapers to monitor the frequency of sexual violence. In 2017, 317 cases of sexual crimes were reported. Of the victims, 60.6 per cent were aged between five and 20, while 30.9 per cent were aged between 41 and 60. The oldest victim was 90 years old. 

 

WMP also highlighted the fact that 53 per cent of the rapists were very close to the victims or members of their family. This is also possibly the reason why the newly introduced law seeks to toughen the penalty for |sexual crimes committed against |relatives. 

 

“Only 38.2 per cent of rapists were complete strangers,” Jadet said, adding that some 8.8 per cent of rapists had met their victims through social media. 

Inebriation also played a part in about a third of the sexual crimes reported.

 

“From the news reports, we also learned that 20 victims had died from sexual violence,” Jadet said, adding that the reported cases were just the tip of the iceberg as many cases go unreported. 

 

“Working in the field, I have learned first hand that sexual crimes show no signs of subsiding,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe tougher penalties will reduce the number of crimes. Instead, he said, a more effective tool would be to enforce laws more strictly and make an effort to solve family and social problems. 

 

He is also encouraging families and society as a whole to actively |pursue efforts to put an end to |sexual violence. 

 

“Don’t make girls feel embarrassed to report sexual violence. Don’t let patriarchy prevail,” he said, adding that fathers often think they own their daughters, while male employers believe they can do anything to their female workers due to prevailing patriarchal attitudes. 

 

He also called on media to stop stigmatising women in sexual-crime reports and urged the entertainment industry to stop portraying rapists as heroes. 

 

“Don’t make it look like a rape can lead to love. In reality, no victim loves their rapist,” Jadet said. 

 

Social Equality Promotion Foundation’s director Supensri Puengkhokesoong said she was worried about the enforcement process. 

 

“No matter how good the law is, its effectiveness depends solely on the enforcers,” she said, expressing hope that victims will be given quick access to their legal rights following the crimes. 

 

She said that while the new law in general wields tougher penalties, it also gives the court an option to consider putting offenders below the age of 18, whose victims are between 13 and 15 years old, under welfare protection instead of penalising them. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30370165

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-29

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[geoffbezoz]

Its a move in the right direction but I don't read anything regarding the punishment for parents knowingly allow predators to sexually abuse their young children, often for money. 

[mok199]

''No matter how good any law is ,it all depends on the enforcers''...

[smedly]

no mention of battering a young western women's head to a pulp with a hoe because she wouldn't comply

Edited May 28, 2019 by smedly

[wisperone]

So is being drunk and feeling horny still ok, or is it now not ok, when committing rape?

[Nip]

37 minutes ago, mok199 said:

''No matter how good any law is ,it all depends on the enforcers''...

Your absolutely correct. The laws that exist at the moment are dare I say stiff enough but the police and courts are generally disinterested and or lenient. 

[mikebell]

42 minutes ago, mok199 said:

''No matter how good any law is ,it all depends on the enforcers''...

Yes these new laws to be enacted by the all-male, all-powerful RTP.

Until Thai males have their arrogance surgically removed at birth, Thailand will continue to languish.

[DoctorG]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He also called on media to stop stigmatising women in sexual-crime reports and urged the entertainment industry to stop portraying rapists as heroes. 

 

“Don’t make it look like a rape can lead to love. In reality, no victim loves their rapist,” Jadet said. 

This is a strong point.

[jesimps]

Good!

[hobz]

1 hour ago, mok199 said:

''No matter how good any law is ,it all depends on the enforcers''...

Exactly. Typical Thailand.. many good laws (and some bad), no proper enforcement.

[Cabradelmar]

You can't punish a rapist enough. Too many times I'm reading about rapist in Thailand. These sentencing guidelines if enacted should help stem the epidemic

[leeneeds]

No mention of removal of the male probe,

one would think that as an added deterrent, 

would make you think with the big head instead of the little 

one.

[new2here]

no mention of battering a young western women's head to a pulp with a hoe because she wouldn't comply

Wouldn’t that be already addressed by the definition of a weapon as promulgated under the existing Criminal Code?

As such, I suspect that one could be charged for the sexual assault part of the event under the newly amended law and also concurrently for the weapon as provided for under existing criminal code.

Also as I read it, if the victim suffered “grievous injury” then it looks like there’s a penalty multiplier....


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[MellowYellow101]

The death penalty has been proven not to work, and in fact countries that use it have higher crime and murder rates. 
Not only that, what if a Thai women decides to cry foul, that a guy has raped her, when in fact he is totally innocent? Then the RTP get a confession out of him... somehow, and then he's done for. 

[Time Traveller]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

he doesn’t believe tougher penalties will reduce the number of crimes. Instead, he said, a more effective tool would be to enforce laws more strictly and make an effort to solve family and social problems

I agree, the laws are already in place. But I don't think there are many people in this country that will agree. The sheeple have mostly lost their ability to think, and react only on emotions with any thought for consequences.

Edited May 29, 2019 by Time Traveller

[nickstav]

This is a serious topic but, just out of "morbid" curiosity, I'd be interested in knowing how many cases of corpse rape there were. How do you prove that the intimacy with a corpse was or wasn't consensual? 

[British Bulldog]

QUOTE: "Sexual attacks against children below the age of 13, for example, will result in life in prison under the tougher law, while penalties will double for rapists who share recordings of the assault" ...... how the hell do you double a life sentence ?

[jvs]

14 minutes ago, nickstav said:

This is a serious topic but, just out of "morbid" curiosity, I'd be interested in knowing how many cases of corpse rape there were. How do you prove that the intimacy with a corpse was or wasn't consensual? 

Maybe you are not smart enough to participate in this discussion?

[Jimbo in Thailand]

1 hour ago, MellowYellow101 said:

The death penalty has been proven not to work, and in fact countries that use it have higher crime and murder rates.

What utter and complete nonsense!  I guarantee you that the executed criminal will NEVER AGAIN commit another heinous crime.  Not only that, taxpayers won't have to bear the financial burden of feeding the cretin until he/she dies of old age.

 

Pull your head out MW101!  

[jvs]

Maybe the schools should get involved and tell the kids what they see in the soaps is not real?

Girl gets raped but before the end of the show she falls in love with him and all is forgiven.

Maybe cancel those stupid shows and replace with something more educating and less shooting raping and screaming!

A lot of good reactings here and a few .........not so.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“No matter how good the law is, its effectiveness depends solely on the enforcers,” she said, expressing hope that victims will be given quick access to their legal rights following the crimes.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Jadet Chaowilai, director of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP), said yesterday that police usually try to mediate when rape complaints are filed. 

And there is the problem... police involvement trying to keep the perpetrator out of court & in the public domain... just hushed up with a few baht!!!!

[bkk6060]

Hope this scares away all the Falang Pedophile s.

[GalaxyMan]

Penalties are irrelevant in Thailand. The Thai people don't even comprehend the idea of consequences. Everything is totally now, now, now, me, me, me. Sad, but if the new laws deter even a single rape, then I'm all for it.

[bkk6060]

46 minutes ago, British Bulldog said:

QUOTE: "Sexual attacks against children below the age of 13, for example, will result in life in prison under the tougher law, while penalties will double for rapists who share recordings of the assault" ...... how the hell do you double a life sentence ?

Comprehend what it says.

Two separate crimes.

[Zack61]

penalties will double for rapists who share recordings of the assault.

 

Only to be halved again with a wai and apology and completely waived if you are connected. 

[Jimdandy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The new law also recognises sexual crimes against men and corpses. 

My goodness, how gross is that!? Corpses!????

[Pedrogaz]

I do hope there is some requirement for hard evidence eg sperm resides or suspect's DNA on the victim.

 

Might be a good way to reduce the prison population as a lot of rape happen in prison ????

[jvs]

Just now, Zack61 said:

penalties will double for rapists who share recordings of the assault.

I also saw that and was thinking about this but you reacted also and here is my take on this.

Somehow a lot of people feel the need to share everything they do on social media,instant fame for some!!

If they do record it even without sharing there will be no denying the crime!!!

What the law does not provide in is the fact that all reported cases of rape have to go to be dealt with in court!!

No more dealings in the police station after hours.

[Pedrogaz]

The other funny thing is why is necrophilia even a crime....no harm can be done to the corpse. If I were dead and someone raped me I wouldn't even care or bother reporting it to the police.

[bkk6060]

24 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

 Everything is totally now, now, now, me, me, me.

??

So that makes them want to commit rape?