SA KAEO – Thai police have rescued an 11-year-old Finnish girl from a home in Sa Kaeo province after she secretly contacted authorities in Finland. The child said she had been held against her will and abused, and described the place where she lived as a “house of horrors”.
Officers carried out the rescue late on Thursday afternoon in Aranyaprathet district, near the Cambodian border. The operation began after an urgent request from the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok, following information shared by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
Sa Kaeo police said the case came to light when the girl got access to a computer while the adults in the home were distracted. She sent an email to Finnish police, setting out claims of months of confinement and physical harm. She wrote that she was frightened to leave the house because of the two adults she lived with.
Finnish officials then alerted the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok. The embassy worked with the Royal Thai Police and Sa Kaeo officers to track the girl’s location. Investigators used the email’s IP address, along with local checks, to narrow down the address.
Police raid leads to rescue
When police arrived at a gated property in the province, they found the girl inside with two Finnish nationals, a man and a woman in their late 40s. The pair told officers the child was their daughter and was being taught at home. Police, however, reported visible bruises on her arms and legs.
A senior officer involved in the raid told the Chiang Rai Times the girl appeared traumatised. He said she ran towards officers as soon as they entered, and the moment was deeply emotional.
Both adults were detained for questioning. Early information suggests they moved to Thailand months earlier, possibly on retirement visas, and brought the child with them.
Investigators are now checking the legal relationship between the adults and the girl, after she told authorities she was not being cared for and felt like a prisoner.
Finnish Girl’s Mistreatment
Police said they found signs inside the home that supported the Finnish girl’s account of mistreatment. Neighbours told reporters they hardly ever saw the child outside. Some said they heard shouting at times, but assumed it was a private family issue.
Sa Kaeo police said they are working closely with the Finnish Embassy to protect the child. She is now under the care of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and doctors are carrying out medical checks to record her injuries.
The Embassy of Finland in Bangkok thanked Thai authorities for acting quickly and professionally. It is arranging for the girl to return to Finland, where she can get further support and reunite with extended family.
The two Finnish suspects are being held at Sa Kaeo provincial prison. They may face charges under Thai law, including unlawful detention, assault, and child abuse. If found guilty, they could serve a prison sentence in Thailand, with the possibility of later action in Finland.
The case has drawn attention to how much cross-border co-operation matters in child protection. For this 11-year-old, one private email became the lifeline that helped her get out.
