Cop who killed doctor at Zebra Crossing: Decision on whether to prosecute or not due today

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Spokesman for the prosecutors' office Prayuth Petchrakhun told Thai Rath yesterday that the decision on whether to prosecute the lance corporal involved in the death of an opthalmologist in Bangkok would be announced today.

 

Dr Kratai was killed on the crossing in Phayathai district earlier this month. It sparked outrage and has led to scrutiny of how motorists behave at crossings and the involvement of the police.

 

Dr Kratai was hit by a Ducati ridden by Norawich Buadok.

 

Phayathai police have charged him with nine offences including what amounts to vehicular homicide that could see him jailed for ten years. 

 

Some think he will walk, however, and the decision of prosecutors at 9.30 am today will be followed with much interest in the Thai press.  

 

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[Geoffggi]

There should be no doubt if he should be prosecuted, the only thing in doubt should be the number of prosecution items

[worgeordie]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Phayathai police have charged him with nine offences including what amounts to vehicular homicide that could see him jailed for ten years. 

Would they dare not to charge him ? , what excuse could they

possible have ? .......but stranger things have happened here..

regards Worgeordie

[internationalism]

top police said earlier that he will be be prosecuted with the full power of laws and to trust that he won't have a special treatment from police.

He "wasn't involved". He killed her. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by internationalism

[Dmaxdan]

If they don't prosecute him what sort of message is that sending out?  That the police take care of their own and they are above the law?  Surely they don't want people to believe that....

[darksidedog]

I am sure that he will face charges from the prosecutor. The question remains how many, and how serious, and if any of the really serious charges that potentially lead to big jail time are missing from the list? And if so, why? Or should I say how much?

[new2here]

Given the extent this event has spread and the level of “press” it gets, I don’t see a politically viable way for the State Prosecutor to effectively NOT choose to move forward.

 

In a perfect world, charging decisions should be made apolitically — but that’s not reality… they DO carry political ramifications, pro or con… so any decision must be viewed through such.

 

I don’t think anyone at the Prosecutor’s office wants that attention being the person/entity who lets the defendant “get away” with it.. I COULD see pressure being put on the judiciary to met out a lesser punishment IF he is ultimately convicted—- that to me would probably be the most politically expedient way to get this matter closed and out of the publics view. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by new2here

[Henk Langeweg]

I thought they settled it for $US 2000000.

[big dendrobenaes]

there is NO NEED to decide.......prosecution SHOULD BE AUTOMATIC   !!!!

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Phayathai police have charged him with nine offences including what amounts to vehicular homicide that could see him jailed for ten years. 

Only 9? And then they have to have a hearing if they need to prosecute? I just don´t get it together.

[thailand49]

This isn't rocket science to a foreigner at least?  You got loads of media on the accident lots of talk that things will be done top cop telling the mother of the victim we will be fair and consistent he is right!  The cop has done everything admit how sorry he is to the family enter into the monkhood sing a few chants as he most likely did years ago and all is forgiven?  Fair and consistent and a slap on the wrist! Life goes on just the the madness on the road and still crosswalks????

People are desensitized to road deaths in this country nothing is going to change! 

[John Drake]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Some think he will walk, however, and the decision of prosecutors at 9.30 am today will be followed with much interest in the Thai press.  

 

So, it's 2:15 pm. What happened?

[internationalism]

lets see how far injustice system in thailand will go in case of crowd control cop:

"The cop who sped his Ducati into an eye doctor as she crossed a Bangkok road last month, killing her, was indicted in court this afternoon on nine criminal counts. 

Public prosecutors agreed to try Lance Cpl. Norawich Buadok, a crowd control police officer, on nine counts including fatal reckless driving, speeding, failing to stop at a crosswalk, driving a vehicle without license plates, and driving without insurance.

Norawich is also accused of violating a traffic law stipulating that motorbike riders must keep to the left-most lane of the road – a law all but universally ignored by all."

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/cop-who-killed-doctor-kratai-on-bangkok-road-indicted-on-9-charges/

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Some think he will walk, however, and the decision of prosecutors at 9.30 am today will be followed with much interest in the Thai press. 

If he walks or even gets a suspended sentence then Thailands courts are out of date and manipulated.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

If they don't prosecute him what sort of message is that sending out?  That the police take care of their own and they are above the law?  Surely they don't want people to believe that....

Too late.

[vandeventer]

18 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If he walks or even gets a suspended sentence then Thailands courts are out of date and manipulated.

They should have not said he was a Doctor on the crosswalk but a person. The crosswalk is a dangerous place so we either have them or have overhead crossings. 

[Aussieroaming]

Make him continuously walk to and fro across that pedestrian crossing until the inevitable happens and he gets a dose of karma. No need to prosecute him then.

[sammieuk1]

It will be argued she should have expected to be wiped out crossing the road on a crossing ????

[hotchilli]

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If he walks or even gets a suspended sentence then Thailands courts are out of date and manipulated.

 

9 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

They should have not said he was a Doctor on the crosswalk but a person. The crosswalk is a dangerous place so we either have them or have overhead crossings. 

Just to clarify:

When I said "he" I was referring to the police motorcyclist, not the victim.

The victim was a "female" doctor.

[Road Warrior]

would have thought no decision needed !! he committed manslaughter as recorded on ctv 

[Cake Monster]

This Guy has to be Prosecuted, for his part in an accident that cost a person their Life.

It should then be down to him to prove his innocence in Court

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Some think he will walk, however, and the decision of prosecutors at 9.30 am today will be followed with much interest in the Thai press.  

From today's "Breaking News" in The Nation (22 February 2022) :-

 

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on Tuesday laid nine charges against Pol Lance Corporal Norawit Buadok over the killing of a doctor on a Bangkok pedestrian crossing last month.

Norawit was charged with reckless driving causing death, speeding, and driving a vehicle without a registration plate.

The OAG said it would pass the case on to the Criminal Court.

An OAG spokesperson said the prosecutor had informed the victim’s family that they could now sue for compensation in the Criminal Court having already sued in the Civil Court.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012625

Edited February 22, 2022 by Burma Bill
additional information

[Anant72]

10 hours ago, new2here said:

Given the extent this event has spread and the level of “press” it gets, I don’t see a politically viable way for the State Prosecutor to effectively NOT choose to move forward.

 

In a perfect world, charging decisions should be made apolitically — but that’s not reality… they DO carry political ramifications, pro or con… so any decision must be viewed through such.

 

I don’t think anyone at the Prosecutor’s office wants that attention being the person/entity who lets the defendant “get away” with it.. I COULD see pressure being put on the judiciary to met out a lesser punishment IF he is ultimately convicted—- that to me would probably be the most politically expedient way to get this matter closed and out of the publics view. 

We are soon going to witness a great moment of justice in action in this fair land: stay tuned….

[Thingamabob]

I suspect he will be prosecuted, but only on minor charges.

[brianthainess]

The victim was a well known, respected doctor causing it to be a high profile case, so he won't just walk, which probably would have been the case had it been a poor person. He might even get a token jail sentence, stranger things do happened.

 

Also interesting to know that driving a M/C without a side mirror is an offence (not properly maintained vehicle) Jeez their are thousands of not properly maintained vehicles out there BIB ! 

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, internationalism said:

lets see how far injustice system in thailand will go in case of crowd control cop:

"The cop who sped his Ducati into an eye doctor as she crossed a Bangkok road last month, killing her, was indicted in court this afternoon on nine criminal counts. 

Public prosecutors agreed to try Lance Cpl. Norawich Buadok, a crowd control police officer, on nine counts including fatal reckless driving, speeding, failing to stop at a crosswalk, driving a vehicle without license plates, and driving without insurance.

Norawich is also accused of violating a traffic law stipulating that motorbike riders must keep to the left-most lane of the road – a law all but universally ignored by all."

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/cop-who-killed-doctor-kratai-on-bangkok-road-indicted-on-9-charges/

Motorcyclists should only use the left-most lane if it is completely free from parked vehicles or  going to do a right hand or U turn ahead. That is the Possum interpretation of this "rule". ????