German Sentenced To Death Over Murder Of Swiss

[chico]

Anyway I think everyone wants to know the official findings of cause of death!!!! So why doesn't the German Embassy send some people to do the autopsy of the victim now in Swiss. Why the Thai authorities want to hide that answer is beyond me, and also deny his attorney the important info needed for his defense.

the autopsie has been made last year in Switzerland:

one of the findings was, that "an overdosis of heroin can not be excluded"

btw, it's not the first death case in Thailand, where Thai authorities either don't make an autopsie, or don't give the result, and it certainly will not be the last.

[turbog]

"""The death sentence is always inappropriate, it is uncivilized! It does not solve anything and this type of rather primitive ultimate revenge is not the proper way to go! This goes for any crime including child abusers, drug traffickers, murderers, corrupt politicians etc. I am happy that one of the conditions to become a member country of the European Common Market is the total abolishment of the death penalty.

Imagine what it really is. It is some people in power - physical - tie someone up and then kill him in various ways (humans are excellent in thinking up ideas for this bizarre ritual). How humiliating for the executors. They don’t even have to fight to get the result they want except with their conscience which they probably don't have . . ."""

Who are you to tell another nation that their national policy is inadequate, especially those of you who condemn Thailand's "harsh laws"?

If you dont like them, dont come here - freedom of choice includes the decision of a Newly Industrialised Country to uphold the death penalty untill Thailand has adequate funding to provide the level of care that western rapists and murderers get. And if you think killing is inhumane, why can the murderers get away with it and not the victims.

Why don't you move to a nice safe country or stay in your own - instead of slagging off a country that was still "Developing" 8 years ago and is still not classed as a developed country. Thailand need the death penalty more than it need pios <deleted>

[Scott]

Rinrada--physical castration is an option, but it is not completely effective. Chemical castration (at least some years ago) was being used experimentally; it wasn't used as a part of the punishment.

For violent crimes such as rape, the issue is violence, power and control over the subject and has little or nothing to do with sexual needs or desires. Castration for these offenders is not necessarily effective.

Some sex offenders do opt for physical castration, but most judges won't lessen their sentence because of it. People who agree to physical castration are probably the same people who are motivated or deterred enough to really not want to commit the crime in the first place.

Even in animals castration is effective on young animals before maturity. Once mature, many of the aggressive urges remain.

With a lot of violent offenders it may be a place to start and with some it may be effective, but most still need to be kept locked up and away from others.

[Sangsom]

"""The death sentence is always inappropriate, it is uncivilized! It does not solve anything and this type of rather primitive ultimate revenge is not the proper way to go! This goes for any crime including child abusers, drug traffickers, murderers, corrupt politicians etc. I am happy that one of the conditions to become a member country of the European Common Market is the total abolishment of the death penalty.

Imagine what it really is. It is some people in power - physical - tie someone up and then kill him in various ways (humans are excellent in thinking up ideas for this bizarre ritual). How humiliating for the executors. They don’t even have to fight to get the result they want except with their conscience which they probably don't have . . ."""

Who are you to tell another nation that their national policy is inadequate, especially those of you who condemn Thailand's "harsh laws"?

If you dont like them, dont come here - freedom of choice includes the decision of a Newly Industrialised Country to uphold the death penalty untill Thailand has adequate funding to provide the level of care that western rapists and murderers get. And if you think killing is inhumane, why can the murderers get away with it and not the victims.

Why don't you move to a nice safe country or stay in your own - instead of slagging off a country that was still "Developing" 8 years ago and is still not classed as a developed country. Thailand need the death penalty more than it need pios <deleted>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am truly "impressed" by this "extremely intelligent" and "so well thought over" reaction to my previous message. Once again you reassured me that the death penalty is principally wrong and seems to be the favorite way of punishment of a certain type of rather primitive people that are incapable to think properly and that have no idea what justice is meant to be, people I generally fail to understand and to be quite honest with such type of ridiculous, rude and above all ill-mannered replies I refuse to make even an effort!

Edited September 5, 2005 by Sangsom

[DaveYo]

Anyway I think everyone wants to know the official findings of cause of death!!!!  So why doesn't the German Embassy send some people to do the autopsy of the victim now in Swiss.  Why the Thai authorities want to hide that answer is beyond me, and also deny his attorney the important info needed for his defense. 

the autopsie has been made last year in Switzerland:

one of the findings was, that "an overdosis of heroin can not be excluded"

btw, it's not the first death case in Thailand, where Thai authorities either don't make an autopsie, or don't give the result, and it certainly will not be the last.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes Chico, of course I asked that question because from all the sources here give different accounts as to the cause of death. Some say blood, some say his face was beaten, some say he was strangled, some say he got choked to death, and last but not least heroin OD.

Lets face it. You can die only one way, not multiple ways all at once, unless you die and live and die and live which never can happen but rarely. The bottom line is something is wrong with the autopsy findings, and the lawyers never got that evidence for this blokes defense.

Now he is sentenced to death with a case so full of holes it sure as heck looks like swiss cheese no doubt.

In short, it is now too late for him. Courtesy of Thailand.

I consider Chiang Mai one of the more dangerous cities here in Thailand to even want to live in much less even want to visit. It is especially dangerous to foreigners so if you go to Chiang Mai, you go at your own risk. I would not even want to go there cause of its notoriety of its treatment to tourists, and of so much illegal activity going on there it is downright scary. You can be accused there so fast you won't even know what hit you and the reasons why etc.

[chuchok]

Anyway I think everyone wants to know the official findings of cause of death!!!!  So why doesn't the German Embassy send some people to do the autopsy of the victim now in Swiss.   Why the Thai authorities want to hide that answer is beyond me, and also deny his attorney the important info needed for his defense. 

the autopsie has been made last year in Switzerland:

one of the findings was, that "an overdosis of heroin can not be excluded"

btw, it's not the first death case in Thailand, where Thai authorities either don't make an autopsie, or don't give the result, and it certainly will not be the last.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes Chico, of course I asked that question because from all the sources here give different accounts as to the cause of death. Some say blood, some say his face was beaten, some say he was strangled, some say he got choked to death, and last but not least heroin OD.

Lets face it. You can die only one way, not multiple ways all at once, unless you die and live and die and live which never can happen but rarely. The bottom line is something is wrong with the autopsy findings, and the lawyers never got that evidence for this blokes defense.

Now he is sentenced to death with a case so full of holes it sure as heck looks like swiss cheese no doubt.

In short, it is now too late for him. Courtesy of Thailand.

I consider Chiang Mai one of the more dangerous cities here in Thailand to even want to live in much less even want to visit. It is especially dangerous to foreigners so if you go to Chiang Mai, you go at your own risk. I would not even want to go there cause of its notoriety of its treatment to tourists, and of so much illegal activity going on there it is downright scary. You can be accused there so fast you won't even know what hit you and the reasons why etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gee Dave, another well thought out post.

[planemad]

If the death penalty was actually a deterrent, then I might agree with it, however, the fact that such terrible crimes continue to occur suggests that the ultimate penalty does not achieve any real results. I can only conclude that such a penalty has little to do with punishment, it is more a means of revenge and has no place in society!

[meemiathai]

one: I take it as an enormous exaggeration to express that you really are upset about someone, but don't really mean to kill - this I can understand and accept

Chico, this is more likely what i meant.

but for

two : if you literally mean what you say, then you are extremely dangerous and precautions should be taken to stop you before you can hurt someone

, is also an exaggeration unless in your life there had always only been caring and nice people around you. You have never met people who doesn't give a shit to your own life. You can die because of them and they won't even give a blink. The 'hate' here I am talking about is not what they eat or drink or how they behave, it's about what they have done to try to ruin your own life. I am talking about the evil ones. So that means yes, I am capable of killing.

I do not really see what animals like flies or ants have in common with people?

For me, insects , animals and humans are all the same. They are lives. It is only humans who think they are superior. for me, they are all equal.

I brought this out just to show that how I respect lives.

[silk123]

i'm not going to even read the posts just to say that a certain policeman comes to mind with lots of evidence murdering 2 tourists and no death penalty there.

double standard thing again.

don't care anyway.

[chrisegan]

German sentenced to death over murder of Swiss tourist

CHIANG MAI: -- --Chiang Mai Court today (Wednesday) sentenced a German man to death for the premeditated murder of a Swiss tourist in San Kamphaeng district.

Judges Siriwan Nakawisut and Kanchana Singpaikaew convicted 34-year-old German national Gordon Adrian Koschwitz for fatally beating and strangling Raphael Baumann, 32, on October 11 last year.

Baumann, who had been in Thailand since last August, was found dead in Koschwitz's rented house. Koschwitz reported the death the next day and claimed that Baumann had died after he slipped and fell.

Police later arrested Koschwitz and seized a wooden club as evidence, but he denied the charge. The Department of Special Investigation took up the case before submitting it to public prosecutors.

After hearing the verdict, Koschwitz was taken to Chiang Mai Special Prison.

Koschwitz's lawyer, Watcharapong Tipsukum, told the Associated Press that he planned to appeal the verdict within the 30-day period allowed by Thai law.

"He says he did not kill Raphael. He doesn't know who did it," Watcharapong said.

Koschwitz has been living in Chiang Mai for nearly five years.

--The Nation 2005-08-31

I was in Chiang Mai prison for 1 year and 2 months for a crime I did not commit - I was eventually realeased after serving 2 years and 2 months of a 4 year sentence and am now free. There have been several postings on this site about my case with most members seeming to assume I was guilty with absolutely no knowledge of the crime in question and no knowledge of me as a person. A totally inaccurate story in the media was posted and all members seemed to completely believe what they read without any thought that the article could me mostly based on falsehoods and rumour and made up quotes. People, in this day and age should be more than aware of the inaccuracy of the media, especially involving stories about people who are unable to give their side of the story or fight back because they are incarcerated. On this page many comments have been made about Gordon Koschwitz and they are all based on one small press article. Noone seems to have looked more deeply into the case. I was in prison with Gordon Koschwitz and his case highlights just how incredibly corrupt and dangerous the Thai police force are (not all police but many of them all the same including many high ranking officers). Gordon Koschwitz should have been in prison over a year before this murder but was allowed to go on living in Chiang Mai by the Thai drug enforcement agency even though they knew he was making millions of baht dealing in Cocaine. In return Gordon planted drugs on innocent individuals and set them up for arrest. There were at least 20 innocent people in Chiang Mai prison who had been set up by Gordon. The police have quotas on how many drug dealers to arrest each month and Gordon was meeting those quotas. The Swiss national who Gordon murdered would be alive today if Gordon had been locked up instead of given the chance to work for the police. Gordon openly admitted all of the above and talked at length about how he killed this man simply because he did not want to pay the swiss national some money which he owed to him. I do not agree with the death penalty so cannot agree with the sentence passed down to Gordon. However he showed absolutely no remorse for his crimes and prided himself on being a dangerous criminal whom everyone should be afraid of. He knew that Thailand gives the death penalty in some murder cases when he committed the crime so I have absolutely no sympathy for him whatsoever. People's sympathy should be reserved for the poor innocent Swiss man whose only crime was to trust Gordon and lend money to him. Nobody deserves to die in the manner in which he died.

[sriracha john]

Were you one of the victims that Gordon set up?

[John K]

Post #130 is a good read. Getting the views from a person from the inside who had a lot of time to think about what to say, it places light where non has shined before.

[thankuverybig]

i saw a deranged man kill another thai man (his relative) at point blank range with a sawn off shotgun around 6 months ago,whilst i sat in a restaurant .the blast woke me up from my daydreaming.

i heard from a relative of the guy who got killed that he was shot just because the nephew wanted to drive the car that they arrived in.

the guy took his last breath in front of me,after looking at me.

they caught the guy after he drove into a ditch,shortly after.

after seing it at close range i was happy that they caught the guy,& i suppose i was in favour of the consequences of his actions at the time,but i would also worry about police corruption,###### ups on investigations,human error,casualness,etc .