Thailand Charges 90 Year-Old Australian With Sexually Assaulting Four Sisters

[gemini81]

this is absurd. i think this is fabricated story.

is it even possible to assault somebody physically at his age? does he even has the desire?

The charge is probably, assault with a dead weapon. oc

Haha, hilarious

[Jirapa]

All this crap about a 90 year old man not being able to get a hard on is besides the point as I'd be able to kill any adult man that put his tongue or even his fingers anywhere near my young daughters or my 2 young sons privates!

Who will look after your kids while you're in prison for the murder, or even worse, attempted murder ?

I don't think I'd be too worried about that as I have a good family to take care of my kids. Serving time for a just cause is never wrong especially where children are involved. Obviously I'd have to be sure to go that far but if I was certain I'd do it and possibly save other infants from the evil of that child sex offender. I don't think anyones kids would disown their father for that

[Jirapa]

this is absurd. i think this is fabricated story.

is it even possible to assault somebody physically at his age? does he even has the desire?

The charge is probably, assault with a dead weapon. oc

You idiot! The charge is sexual abuse of minors and you don't need a cock for that so shut up!

[Jirapa]

Definitely a curious case of Benjamin Buttons here. If this is really, really a case of rape was there even viagra found as evidence and how can one determined penetration without DNA (hearsay). Truly a curious case here .

"Despite his age he still seems to have the desire, although we don't know whether he could act on it," Prawit said. "But under Thai law any form of penetration is considered rape."

I'm absolutely sickened by some posts on this thread. They point to he didn't fuc_k these little girls so he's innocent. I'm not even referring to this case of the 90 year old but adults even French kissing with a 7 year old is wrong! Some posters seem to be making a joke out of this so could the administrator please strike them off as I find it offensive!

[elwood]

this is absurd. i think this is fabricated story.

is it even possible to assault somebody physically at his age? does he even has the desire?

The charge is probably, assault with a dead weapon. oc

You idiot! The charge is sexual abuse of minors and you don't need a cock for that so shut up!

Well said! This is a possible case of sexual abuse of a minor, and this forum gets a pathetic bunch of expats making fun of the situation. Of course a 90-year-old man can sexually abuse children; abuse doesn't just occur with an erection. And is can sometimes be years before constant abuse is exposed, due sometimes to the shame felt by the victims.

And why do we always get the usual expat reaction - "It must be a setup, took so long to report it looks fishy, probably a Thai extortion scam" Yea, yea, always blame the Thai, expats can never do anything bad. Sometimes this forum is a disgrace.

Sorry about the rant, but this is a very serious subject, and should be treated as such.

[cup-O-coffee]

These cases always make (good?) press cos they reinforce the Boogie man stories. Yet all the time, most abuse goes on in the family home byfathers, step-fathers, uncles, grandfathers, cousins, and brothers.

Demonizing strangers sells papers thou.

Actually, you are pointing towards "moral panic" and how the media controls this, or at least tries to.

For all intents and purposes the 'moral panic' is nothing new. Throughout time there have been a number of panics over a variety of issues, ranging from crime and the activities of youth, to drugs and sexual freedom, each considered a threat to the moral fibre of society at that particular time- today is no exception (Furedi 1994: 1). As Furedi points out, 'newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger which threatens our health and happiness. Television programmes echo the theme with sensational accounts of crime and illustrations of the breakdown of family life' (Furedi 1994: 1). Whereas in the past it may have been the 'drug culture' of the fifties and sixties, or the disruptive behaviour of the Mods and Rockers, today we face panics over 'children who kill other children', the threat to our health from outbreaks of BSE and E.coli food poisoning, teenagers gripped by a 'new and threatening drug epidemic'- Ecstasy, and perhaps one of the more prominent panics at present- the 'paedophile'. The issues to consider, it might then be suggested are: how does a panic occur and take hold; what are the indicators; and who is involved?

I do not think it looks too good for this suspect, due to the mention of pictures with him in them. How that turns out will be a major case breaker, or point of vindication for him. I did mention my thoughts on another thread about the moral panic amongst the western media and other thoughts about this issue that seems to be an obsession with the media.

It really is difficult these days to be objective, and get an objective jury, with all the freedom the media has to libel and slander suspects before they even get their day in court.

[ilyelol]

85% chance that the father was in on it and the old man just ran out of money

[thai1234]

Born in Berlin in 1920. 19yrs in 1939 and 25yrs in 1945. No better time or place to be a bit evil.

[ukrules]

Born in Berlin in 1920. 19yrs in 1939 and 25yrs in 1945. No better time or place to be a bit evil.

I'm just wondering what he did in the war, he was certainly the right age for it.

[yeno]

The person was not found guilty by a Thai court. He has been charged.

I would only say (without pointing fingers) that in a 3 against one, the one is guilty, 99% of the cases. 4 against one is... you got it, a dirty old man. But, too follow the rules, I should emphasize I'm not talking about this dude, but generally

[Tigs]

Born in Berlin in 1920. 19yrs in 1939 and 25yrs in 1945. No better time or place to be a bit evil.

I'm just wondering what he did in the war, he was certainly the right age for it.

Frankly both of you are making ridiculous statements. Being 'evil' during any war is down to who wins or loses. Had the Germans won then AVM Dowding would have been tried for war crimes. Not all German soldiers were involved in concentration camps and the like, they were just normal boys sent to sacrifice their lives to satisfy the desires of power crazed men, just like the Brit soldiers were. So now this guy has been arrested at the age of 90 for alleged child abuse and you two already have him marked for the war crimes tribunal because he was 25 at the time of the war. Well maybe he worked in a munitions factory or construction factory and was never even a soldier. Do we have a smiley on this site for banging your head on a wall?

Edited June 30, 2010 by Tigs

[bristolgeoff]

saw a picture of him in the newspaper,he needed 2 walking sticks to get around.hard to believe he had the energy to do anything else but try too walk.you could knock him down with a feather

[bangon04]

90 ? And still...? Could be a setup or maybe it happened ? Did he pay the parents ? Did they know ? Did they allow ?

It's up to the judge now. In jail ? Not likely. Take his money to compensate the children ? Than send him back to Down Under ?

Why does this only happen in Thailand; or does this happen more than we know...?

I have worked in the UK for many years with, (among other people) adult victims of child sexual abuse. Yes it happens much more than most people realise.....certainly not just in Thailand. There are very many incidents, reported to the police and otherwise, in both the UK and USA......and elsewhere. Parents of children are often 'groomed' by the abuser....in otherwards, he or she will ingratiate themselves to the parents......who often don't find out what has been going on till much later, if at all. As with many victims of physical and sexual abuse, children will often feel at fault in this situation...and will often be told by the abuser that they or their parents will be punished if they reveal what is going on.

There are many other reasons why parents don't find out and why children don't tell.....no need to go into lots more detail here. I just felt strongly enough to write because it's important not to pre-judge or dismiss such accusations. Also vital not to close our eyes to the fact that this crime is a very common one.

Although child abuse is unfortunately endemic in every country, the opportunities to extort money over allegations (whether unfounded or not) seem to be much greater in the Thai system. The examples of the UK/USA do not appear to be places where everyday extortion is easy or tolerated by the police system.

But in Thailand it is not difficult to imagine this becoming a major industry. It could catch on as a regular "scam" against expats living in Thailand during economic hard times, and the Thai system appears to favour the Thai accuser, rather than the expat who has more to lose. What would be the penalty for a false accusation made by a Thai? Weigh this against the trouble in store for any genuinely innocent expat faced with the threat of a false accusation. Much more to lose. The potential for widespread abuse of the justice system is huge. How could you defend yourself against such accusations? Think about it.

Edited June 30, 2010 by bangon04

[thommo46]

Latest news on NINEMSN Australia.

WA man charged with assaults on minors.

A 90-year-old man from Western Australia was arrested and charged with raping four young sisters whom he allegedly lured to his home in Thailand with imported chocolates and English lessons, police said on Wednesday.

One girl was 5 when the alleged abuse began.

The sisters are now 7 to 15, police said.

Karl Joseph Kraus was arrested on Tuesday at his home near the northern city of Chiang Mai, where police confiscated about 100 photographs of naked children, said Doi Saket police Chief Kritapol Yeesakorn.

Some photos showed Kraus posing naked with other children, and police are trying to identify them and contact their families, Kritapol said.

He said police were investigating if Kraus was part of a pedophilia network, noting many of the pictures were emailed overseas.

Kraus, who has lived in Thailand for more than a decade, approached the girls' family in 2008 with an offer to teach the sisters English, Kritapol said.

"He would lure them into his house with sweets, usually chocolate from abroad or luxury sweets, and he would ask them to perform sexual acts with him," Kritapol said.

"For the eldest of the four sisters, he recently gave her 4,000 baht ($A142) instead of sweets."

The parents recently noticed the girls had lost interest in playing outside and asked them what was wrong, and then took them to police who immediately sought an arrest warrant, the police chief said.

Kraus was charged with rape and sexual abuse.

His Australian passport says he was born in Berlin.

The Australian Embassy in Bangkok could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Kritapol said Kraus does not have a lawyer yet and has refused to talk to police until he has one.

Neighbours described Kraus as an active 90-year-old who still drives his own car, police said.

But when police arrested him he appeared weak, walked with a cane and complained of diabetes and high blood pressure, Kritapol said.

Police took him to a Chiang Mai hospital where he remains under surveillance.

The date of his next court appearance is not yet known.

Several South-East Asian countries - including Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - are magnets for pedophiles because of lax law enforcement, corruption in the justice system and poverty that forces children into prostitution.

[PingManDan]

Good one more child molesting _sshole off the streets and out of Thailand

Edited June 30, 2010 by PingManDan

[Patsycat]

If he is found guilty of this horrible crime, they may want to delve into his past.

He may have been up to his shenanigans for the past 70 years.

No mention that he has family, kids of his own,

Sad sad sad old man.

Makes me sick to my stomach.

[ryladie99]

<br>IMO, I have no problem with charging an old man with rape, if there is evidence pointing in that direction. The man will get a fair chance to defend himself in court. If he is found guilty, then he should get the standard sentence that such a crime normally warrant regardless of if it means that he most likely will die in jail while sitting out his sentence. If he is unable to stand trial due to mental state, then his legal representative can persue that path and it will be investigated in accordance with Thai law<br><br>I have a similar true story for you - My mother was in charge of a home for retired people where a 90 year old ex sailor raped another retiree. It happened numerous times before it came to light. Lawyers employeed by the administration of the city gave their opinion and my mother confronted the 90 year old rapist privately with a very simple message: If you ever touch that woman again, then I will make sure that this goes to court and the result will be that you will not be let out again before you are 100. The man never touched another woman and it didn't go to court<br>

<br><br>I am so proud of your Mom...she has gut to do the Right thing...<br>For this case I have no idea?? I do not understand why the father of 3 children allows his kids to visit this 90 years old man alone?? <br>Why it takes 2 years to find a complaint?? Remember any man and age, his sex drive will never go away?? ( until the coffin door shut )   <br>Well Karma will do it?? The truth never is always there, and keep looking???<br>My take.<br>

[robhodge100]

your mother turned a blind eye to rape!? i wonder how the family of the victim would feel!? and all this advised by lawyers!? either you are a liar or your mother should be serving a similar sentance to the rapist!<br>

[bdenner]

Some photos showed Kraus posing naked with other children

One wonders who took the photos. Surely over a 2 year period the parents must have known that something was going wrong. Normally young children can't keep their mouths shut for that period of time and how do they explain the money to the parents. Not pointing fingers here but IMO there is more to this.

[jackr]

What a shame to put this guy through this. He is probably senile and cannot defend himself. This story is an abomination and a terrible reflection on the Thai people in his village.

And how do you know all this? :jerk:

[tingtongfarang]

90 ? And still...? Could be a setup or maybe it happened ? Did he pay the parents ? Did they know ? Did they allow ?

It's up to the judge now. In jail ? Not likely. Take his money to compensate the children ? Than send him back to Down Under ?

Why does this only happen in Thailand; or does this happen more than we know...?

I have worked in the UK for many years with, (among other people) adult victims of child sexual abuse. Yes it happens much more than most people realise.....certainly not just in Thailand. There are very many incidents, reported to the police and otherwise, in both the UK and USA......and elsewhere. Parents of children are often 'groomed' by the abuser....in otherwards, he or she will ingratiate themselves to the parents......who often don't find out what has been going on till much later, if at all. As with many victims of physical and sexual abuse, children will often feel at fault in this situation...and will often be told by the abuser that they or their parents will be punished if they reveal what is going on.

There are many other reasons why parents don't find out and why children don't tell.....no need to go into lots more detail here. I just felt strongly enough to write because it's important not to pre-judge or dismiss such accusations. Also vital not to close our eyes to the fact that this crime is a very common one.

Although child abuse is unfortunately endemic in every country, the opportunities to extort money over allegations (whether unfounded or not) seem to be much greater in the Thai system. The examples of the UK/USA do not appear to be places where everyday extortion is easy or tolerated by the police system.

But in Thailand it is not difficult to imagine this becoming a major industry. It could catch on as a regular "scam" against expats living in Thailand during economic hard times, and the Thai system appears to favour the Thai accuser, rather than the expat who has more to lose. What would be the penalty for a false accusation made by a Thai? Weigh this against the trouble in store for any genuinely innocent expat faced with the threat of a false accusation. Much more to lose. The potential for widespread abuse of the justice system is huge. How could you defend yourself against such accusations? Think about it.

Exactly! for an expat to defend himself against such accusations would be fruitless and dont forget even if innocent and does,nt pay up when the extortion attempt begins and then found guilty gives more power to the next attempt,

With a known corrupt police force and the abuse of the justice system only too often the truth is never known and true justice not served,

Even if this guy is guilty...if extortion attempts were made this type of abuse of the justice system should carry very heavy sentences.

[denishuahin]

<BR>Its only a matter of time before they seriously start clamping down on expats.<BR>Seriously, with all this bad press and so many bad apples amongst us we should start policing ourselves and doing something positive so Thais can see we aren't all arsonists and pedophiles.... I am amazed they are so tolerant actually.<BR>[/quote.

Policing ourselves:

I have a dating web site, I monitor it for suspicious profiles Scammers mostly, but 2 years ago, this one profile made the hairs on the back neck stand up!

Basic info: E***, North East Thailand, 62 years old

I was not sure about his profile Photo ( with two teddy bears ) At first he wrote in Thai, so I asked my wife to read his profile comments in which he said: “comments about wanting girlfriend with young girls only and under 13 years old”

Then he wrote in English, This is a copy of what he said.

“I want to form your women and your daughters photo sent to me by email . I want you to tell your address , and on family Your daughter because I want to know about your. I need women aged twenty to thirty- five years . I like people who live alone with the woman aged zero to ten years.”

This one I did not just delete, I used a philosophy that had in England with my Taxi company if you have a bad apple keep him where you can monitor him and gain more “evidence” want for a better word.

Confidentiality on the Websites: Do we all act like the church in the confessional box and not break confidentiality for any reason or is there a line we draw, and who draws this line?

Well I’m sorry I drew my own line and have all his details on file.

Smoke, fire, money, payment, this will be the last we hear of this.

Edited July 1, 2010 by denishuahin

[Somrak]

What's with the parents, who sell there children? They knew what there children are doing! They go free?

Why the Thais (TN) only bings storrys about foreigners do things like this? Why never about Thais!!!!!??? :jap:

Edited July 1, 2010 by Somrak

[Lancelot]

I have no time for child molesters. Throw the book at truly guilty perps.

But four sisters abused repeatedly and the parents do nothing to help? Four sisters not talking and whipering to their friends? Thais know what is going on in their neighborhoods.

Sad situation and I'd bet there is more to the story...

[snowflake]

there are plenty of cases against Thais as well, but when foreigners are involved, it just get more media attention.

I don't know enough about the case, but as it has been said; where there is smoke, there is fire...

Ps. Walking in Hat Yai last friday I was approached by several DVD sellers that they do now have child porn (yes, they were not older than 10 years)...

They did not use to have this when I came? so why is it so popular now???

Makes me sad to see how some people can behave...

I teach 5-6-7 year old students and I am sure that with the correct mental work on them, they could be "pursuaded" to not tell their parents anything, Thai society is based on respecting elders and not tell about bad things... I do not know if he has done something, but, as the police officer stated in the beginning... ANY PENETRATION OF MINORS IS RAPE... That means he did not have to have intercourse with them, just touch them in places that he should not have done...

It sounds strange that they used two years to report this crime, wonder why, If it was my child, I would have shot the guy the second I found out/ or gone to the police and make them take action... Don't know which one, but I would have done something...

We all know that poor people sell their kids, let us hope that this is not one of those cases, let us hope that the girls will be ok and manage to live a healthy life...

(ofcourse he would pretend to be weak when the police came to get him if he was in the wrong, that way it would be harder to believe them)...

Is any effort being made to track down the people he has sent pictures too???

Any other update on the case???

[markt7081]

Tend to agree with Crossbones - It's hard enough as it is living here with all the regulations, last thing we want is somebody like this and others like him creating problems for regular expats.

ok it is still aledged and nothing proven, but usually there's no smoke without fire.

No smoke without fire???

Let me tell you a true story.

we were living in Australia

my wife had a job interview the following day, & wanted to find the place the night before.

So after tea we bundled the kids in the car & went to find it.

After finding the office, I was making a 3 point turn into a factory driveway, when a girl aged about 10 ran behind the car.

I stopped & when my wife said she was passed, i completed the turn & went home.

The following day my wife phoned me & said the police were hunting 2 men in a white 4WD with blacked out windows, who tried to abduct the girl.

I went to the police station, showed them the car & they already had an incident room set up with 6 coppers.

they made further investigations & it was my car they were "hunting'

turns out the girls parents were trying to claim money from a victims support scheme the Ozzie govt were running at the time.

i was lucky, I had the wife and kids in the car, I was there for a legitimate reason (they checked with the company offering the job)

Now in australia, the police are (by & large) honest.

i did not have my name splashed in the media as "helping with inquiries"

I certainly would think twice about turning myself in in Thailand.

There was plenty of smke & certainly no fire.

If he gets a fair trial & if he is guilty, then he deserves everthing the Thai law can throw at him.

But there are 2 ifs in there.

[BlueTerrace]

Who lets their children go to an older mans house without their supervision??

I briefly dated a hard-core Christian woman in California. Her previous 2 husbands had all molested her 3 daughters, so she wouldn't even let me meet the girls (Ok by me). Both her previous husbands were Christian preachers. She got so fed up, that she sent the girls to her father (their grandfather) who was also a preacher. Then she found out that grandpops also abused the girls.

Any parent that leaves their kid alone with a cleric is insane.

[Livinginexile]

This story is making big news in Australia right now.

He needs two walking sticks to get around!

Edited July 1, 2010 by Livinginexile

[MikeyIdea]

IMO, I have no problem with charging an old man with rape, if there is evidence pointing in that direction. The man will get a fair chance to defend himself in court. If he is found guilty, then he should get the standard sentence that such a crime normally warrant regardless of if it means that he most likely will die in jail while sitting out his sentence. If he is unable to stand trial due to mental state, then his legal representative can persue that path and it will be investigated in accordance with Thai law.

I have a similar true story for you - My mother was in charge of a home for retired people where a 90 year old ex sailor raped another retiree. It happened numerous times before it came to light. Lawyers employeed by the administration of the city gave their opinion and my mother confronted the 90 year old rapist privately with a very simple message: If you ever touch that woman again, then I will make sure that this goes to court and the result will be that you will not be let out again before you are 100. The man never touched another woman and it didn't go to court

your mother turned a blind eye to rape!? i wonder how the family of the victim would feel!? and all this advised by lawyers!? either you are a liar or your mother should be serving a similar sentance to the rapist!

One intelligent observation that one can make by reading this thread is that some people here, including you robhodge, do not understand that the victim is more important than the rapist. Some westerners here seem to have the opinion that punish the rapist is more important than caring for the victim. I can tell you that doesn't apply for my child and also that I wouldn't want to be your child, robhodge

Child abuse often takes years to come to light. It is more normal that child abuse that doesn't result in visible marks stay a secret for years / forever than it is that it is brought forward quickly.

It has been said several times before in this thread but it needs to be pointed out again. It is more common than people normally think with sexual activity among elders and the very old. It is no problem at all for a 90 year old of decent health to commit child abuse or rape.

I think what some of you are writing is both appalling and bizarre. Moderators, please suspend members posting distasteful content

Edited July 1, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

This story is making big news in Australia right now.

He needs two walking sticks to get around!

If I had been charged with molesting children, then I would also pretent not to be able to walk.

This man looks similar in health to the old man I wrote about who committed rape at the home for retired people, rape of an adult that was. I see no problems with a man of the age and health shown in the photographs above committing child abuse, he can easily do that.