TRANG - Police in the southern province charged a 33-year-old father with drugging and raping his eight-year-old daughter who later died in May and released a 20-year-old neighbour whom the girl's mother had earlier fingered.
Pol Maj Gen Daoloy Mueandet, chief of Trang police, said on Monday that based on forensic evidence, police charged Kittisak Thongyoi, 33, with raping and assaulting his eight-year-old daughter and released Saranrat Soosan, 20, due to lack of evidence.
He referred to the fatal drug-facilitated rape of the girl in tambon Nong Trud of Muang Trang district on May 10.
Her mother Salisa Ritthidet, 31, first accused the young neighbour of drugging her daughter with a drink and later raping her while she and her husband were tapping latex, leaving three children at home. The mother earlier claimed her daughter had told her who the attacker was before dying of internal bleeding.
The neighbour was arrested on May 12 and brought to a police's news conference. He was detained for over a month before being temporarily released by a court order last Friday.
The girl's father was arrested on May 23 and police said he admitted to abusing his daughter during interrogation. The following day he was found hanging in his cell, but was rescued. On May 25, the man retracted his confession, claiming he was coerced.