Father Gets 2-year Imprisonment For 'kidnapping' Daughter

[george]

Father gets 2-year imprisonment for 'kidnapping' daughter, still gets custody right

The Criminal Court Wednesday sentenced a construction worker to 2 years in jail for demanding his ex-wife to pay a ransom of Bt100,000 for their daughter in a fake kidnapping.

But the court still gave the right to raise the daughter to the father, Sai Seethinwan, 53.

The court was told that Sai took his daughter, Julaporn Seethiwan, now 4, from her mother, Jongrak Bamphen and deceived Jongrak to pay him a ransom of Bt100,000.

Sai called Jongrak said a woman kidnapped their daughter. He later filed a complaint with police but police noticed suspicious points in his story and arrested him. Police found the girl staying with Sai.

Sai pledged guilty of faking the kidnapping.

The court initially sentenced him to 3 years in jail but commuted the penalty by one third because of his confession.

The court also ruled that the man got the custody right to raise his daughter as he had divorced Jongrak.

-- The Nation 2009-05-20

[FatherF]

Does he get to keep the 100k as well?

FF

[TAWP]

So being a criminal doesn't make one unfit parents...ok...so why wasn't the mother fit?

Something tells me neither of the parents are...

[apetley]

So being a criminal doesn't make one unfit parents...ok...so why wasn't the mother fit?

Something tells me neither of the parents are...

Bit harsh TAWP condemning the mum with no evidence at all.

At least she went out and raised the 100k 'ransom', married to a construction worker suggests she is not that wealthy and most people would be aware Thai 'justice' would be stacked against her in a custody battle.

[TAWP]

Bit harsh TAWP condemning the mum with no evidence at all.

At least she went out and raised the 100k 'ransom', married to a construction worker suggests she is not that wealthy and most people would be aware Thai 'justice' would be stacked against her in a custody battle.

My first thought too...so how could she possibly lose custody?

How bad do you have to be to offset a criminal parent while you came through and payed up ransom for your child?

Edited May 20, 2009 by TAWP

[edwinchester]

I would guess that she does not need to be bad at all to lose custody as the odds will be stacked against her purely for being female.

One of my wifes friends lost custody of her daughter when she separated from her husband. She is a lovely woman, totally honest.

Her ex was in the same court for scamming a loan on the family house that was not even in his name at the time of the custody battle.

The fact he earned more than her seemed to count the most.

[Junglejumbo]

Normally the police would come down on the side of the mother in Thailand. In fact some would say unfairly so. Perhaps in this case she didn't have a family or was working or has a criminal record (before the kidnapping). However, there's always the chance that the police kept some of the 100,000 baht but no reason for them to do the father any favors regardless.

There are some interesting farang father stories out there of trying to save or "take" their children away from a disintegrating family life or a wife who's gone back on to the game or turned alcoholic and the child usually always ends up being ordered to stay with the mother....this even applies to surrogacy where the mother has signed a contract to hand her kid over....this is illegal in Thailand and those that try it can later be sued by the birth mother even if the father is the rightful one.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Junglejumbo