Northern Thailand
Thai School Director Charged With Child Sex Abuse Says He’s a Victim of a “Smear Campaign”
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NAKHON RATCHASIMA – The school director in Thailand’s Northeastern Province of Nakhon Ratchasima who has been accused of having sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student and sexual advances towards a 13 year-old girl is now facing rape charge after the girl’s mother filed complaint with the police that she was raped by the director.
The complaint was filed on Friday (Feb 2) after a team of prosecutor, social worker, and psychologist talked to the girl, a Matthayom 2 (Grade 8) student and her mother who were at the Nakhon Ratchasima Shelter for Children and Families for rehabilitation.
The girl student told authorities that she was raped by the school director Nathaphop Boonthongtho. She also told the them that she was also raped by her boyfriend, a Matthayom 3 student at the same school.
She was later escorted with her mother to file complaint against the director and her boyfriend.
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On Jan 31, the school director reported himself to Bua Yai police to acknowledge two charges– taking away minors who are under 15 years of age from their parents and libel charge.
The school director said today (Feb 4) that he was ready to meet the police to acknowledge additional charge of raping on Feb 7.
He said he would deny the charge and insisted that he was the victim of a “smear campaign” by a group of people who were not happy with his appointment as the school director.
Nathaphop Boonthongtho, insisted on his innocence during a phone interview with the Bangkok Post on Sunday as he was preparing to turn himself in to police on Wednesday to fight charges of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl and depriving her of parental care.
The other suspect in the sexual abuse case is a Mathayom 3 boy, who is the girl’s former boyfriend. He is also facing the same charges as Mr Nathaphop, following a complaint the girl’s mother lodged with police.
The mother, who asked not to be named, admitted her son had developed an intimate relationship with the girl one year ago, but he never acted against her will.
Source: Thai PBS, Bangkok Post