3 Reports Of Violence Against Children Or Women Are Made Every Hour In Thailand

[webfact]

Response to domestic abuse 'dismal'

Saowanee Nimpanpayongwong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Three reports of violence against children or women are made every hour in Thailand, despite a law meant to protect them that has been in place for five years.

This failure is due to lax implementation of protective measures by authorities and a dismal enforcement of the law by police, a Bangkok seminar on the subject was told yesterday.

A 1330 hotline centre, operated by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, has been set up to receive requests for help and provide counselling. But at yesterday's event, a network of advocacy groups for women and children requested a "friendlier attitude by ministry officials and ministry-run shelter officials towards the public", and better coordination among agencies.

The director of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, Jadej Chaowilai, submitted an open letter to Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Promphat calling for an improvement in the ministry's service for women and children, including more personnel and a better attitude on human security and emergency care for victims of abuse.

Jadej said the 2007 law authorised not only victims but members of the general public who witnessed abuse of women and children to file complaints with police. But this condition was not made widely known, while police had been dismal in taking care of cases of domestic violence or battery between spouses or other couples.

According to the network's figures from January, three cases of abuses to children and women based in Bangkok are reported every hour. An average of 571 cases of domestic violence, 474 inflicted on women, are reported during the same period. In all cases, men initiated the violence, with 272 cases involving liquor and drugs, and another 161 involved jealousy and personal problems.

Yesterday's seminar followed International Stop Violence against Women and Children Day, which was on Sunday.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 27

[jaltsc]

"This failure is due to lax implementation of protective measures by authorities and a dismal enforcement of the law by police, a Bangkok seminar on the subject was told yesterday."

This failure is due to a culture that accepts these types of violent abuses. How many males in positions of "authority" are perpetrators themselves and refuse to act upon complaints? Is the perpetrator arrested, or is he released after a short time? Are there safe houses for abused women and children, or can the abuser return and seek revenge for being reported?.

Counseling and education can only be effective if there is a viable safe alternative to the present living situation and there is protection for the survivors of the abuse.

[Thai at Heart]

This should be right up yinglucks street with her continual harping on about empowering women at conferences.

[asiawatcher]

Having had a number of attempts with police to handle problems, I have come to the conclusion it is a total waste of time and effort. The latest involved a scammer and to get the police to act, required lodging the complaint at one station where the act took place and being told go back to my home police station, lodge there. After which a return trip, to two other stations getting the run around and finally, grabbing the perp. The only way we got the perp was to have to pay the police to do the job without which they would not have picked up the conman.

Making a complaint for violence against women and children (having asked around), is the exact same scenario. Pay the police they will act, filing the complaint will do nothing. What a circus this police force in Thailand is.

[tangcoral]

I'm surprised more than 3 reports are made everyday let alone 3 every hour.

[Arkady]

Does this include the attempts at filing reports that are rejected by police.

[FOODLOVER]

They had dinner, how could it be assault?

[EarthAlien]

Having proper family abuse support systems in place is important but lets hope even if the Thai government and courts actually start practically administering these programs that they don't end up being tools of abuse and power against men and the role of the man as leader of the home and family as has happened rampantly in the west where disgruntled women have used such powers to virtually crucify husbands that simply wanted out over emotional abuse to them and/or their kids. This is where the pendulum of equality and power have swung way to far the other way and with no end in sight of a balanced return. The western governments see the "domestic violence" card as a lever with which to divide families and remove the father from the dominant leader of the household and from there they can control society to their advantage,

Back to Thailand,.. for any such family abuse support programs to work we also need to address the alcoholic abuse of the perpetrators who are themselves the victims of uncontrolled addictions ruining their entire lives. Perhaps for many of them if they had a decent daily salary (even 300bht is a joke) then they may not resort to gambling, drinking and having zero self respect?

Just my 2 cents,... but this is a very deep subject that warrants serious attention and expert management (perhaps Minister Plodprasob could be interested given his skill in damage control and catastrophe management!)

[TommoPhysicist]

What about the abuse of men by women?

Is that to be ignored?

Not to mention all the cases of women cutting off their husbands parts!

Edited November 27, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[Bluespunk]

What about the abuse of men by women?

Is that to be ignored?

Not to mention all the cases of women cutting off their husbands parts!

Maybe if the men in question had not been wasting all their income on alcohol before going home to beat the crap out of their wives and kids they would never have had their penis cut off. I accept that men are attacked by their partners but not on the scale that women and children face.

[TommoPhysicist]

What about the abuse of men by women?

Is that to be ignored?

Not to mention all the cases of women cutting off their husbands parts!

Maybe if the men in question had not been wasting all their income on alcohol before going home to beat the crap out of their wives and kids they would never have had their penis cut off. I accept that men are attacked by their partners but not on the scale that women and children face.

I think you will find Thailand is fairly even in Thai/Thai spouse bashing.

I have discovered that in Thai/foreigner relationships, it tends to be the older foreign guy being bashed by the younger Thai female. Almost all the foreign men I know have admitted to suffering domestic violence from their Thai partner (and that includes me).

Edited November 27, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[surangw]

Population wise, how does this compare to other countries?

[Thai at Heart]

Population wise, how does this compare to other countries?

Probably not that favourably. Probably worse than Thailand driving death statistics, and that is only on what is reported.

My mother in law was beaten on average probably twice a month.

Edited November 27, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[hellodolly]

Well another typical Nation screw up.

Leaving that aside I wonder how many are not reported.

Having had dealings with many of these cases back home I learned that a lot of the Ladies that complain and leave the home or go into a shelter of one kind or another wind up going back to the abuser or finding a new abuser.

Just passing a law and having the police investigated it is just a start. There is a lot of counseling needed.

One other point is that many of the complaints that the police respond to are denied by the abused when they get there.

The reason I said typical National article are two fold, In the article itself it says

"According to the network's figures from January, three cases of abuses to children and women based in Bangkok are reported every hour"

And the headline says

"3 Reports Of Violence Against Children Or Women Are Made Every Hour In Thailand

Which is it three in all of Thailand or three in Bangkok. I believe that even if it is Bangkok the number of unreported is bigger than the number reported.