A Cambodian man was arrested in Phatthalung for repeatedly assaulting his Thai wife’s 15-year-old niece over 16 months, fathering her child. DNA tests confirmed his guilt. He was also found in possession of illicit drugs and entered Thailand illegally.
A harrowing story unfolded in Phatthalung on Saturday when the Cambodian spouse of a Thai woman was arrested in connection with the repeated assault of an underage girl over a 16-month period. At length, Saturday’s arrest came as a result of DNA evidence obtained by local police after the teenage girl gave birth to a baby three months ago. Later, police told reporters that the accused was furthermore found to be in possession of illicit drugs and entered Thailand illegally from Cambodia.
On Saturday morning, police in Thailand’s southern Phatthalung arrested a 33-year-old Cambodian man. At length, he was charged with the assault of an underage girl on a repeated basis from January 2023 to May 2024.
Indeed, the police officer from Bangkaew Police Station arrested Mr Sarawut Saeng on foot of a Phatthalung Provincial Court arrest warrant.
Before that, relatives of the girl, now 15 years of age, had filed a complaint with investigators at the police station.
Teenage girl gives birth to child fathered by Cambodian man, leading to DNA test that confirmed assault
Significantly, the teenage girl gave birth three months ago to a child conceived as the result of the illicit relationship. Previously, relatives, after discovering the girl was pregnant, had suspected the Cambodian man. Nonetheless, he had persistently denied the accusations.
However, after the teenager gave birth, the relative ordered a Defence Ministry test on the child. At length, it perfectly matched the DNA of Mr Sarawut.
Afterwards, it was on this basis that police obtained the arrest warrant based on charges being processed against the defendant. In brief, it is said that the 15-year-old girl is the niece of the Cambodian man’s Thai wife. The couple have been married for some 10 years.
After hours of questioning, Cambodian man confesses to repeated assault of underage girl, admits guilt
At the same time, even after his arrest on Saturday, Mr Sarawut continued to vehemently deny the charges put to him by police. Nonetheless, after hours of intense questioning, as police officers put the facts to him, he relented. Mr Sarawut admitted the repeated rape of the young underage girl as charged.
At the same time, it was learned that the girl had been raised by Mr Sarawut and his wife. Basically, his wife had undertaken to care for the girl, and they lived in the same house.
The offences occurred while the Cambodian man’s wife was out working. Police were told at length that the woman left the home in the early hours of the morning. Significantly, these would be the hours 1 am to 7 am.
The woman made a living selling vegetables. The arrested man told police that sometimes he would collect and deliver his wife.
Accused man claims assaults occurred occasionally while drunk, denies coercion or force being used
Nevertheless, the accused man took advantage of these absences to assault the teenage girl. Mr Sarawut insisted that such events only happened occasionally and at the same time only when he was drunk.
In summary, he estimated that they took place three times a month and that he never used coercion. Indeed, he claims he was confused himself as to why he had committed such acts.
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The case is being directed by the Investigation officer at Bangkaew Police in Phatthalung. Police Lieutenant Colonel Kawin Nitithamtrakul is confident in the evidence against Mr Sarawut.
However, police, after searching the defendant, found that he possessed illicit narcotics. In addition, after checking the Cambodian’s passport, it was found that there was no entry stamp. In short, he was in Thailand illegally.
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