Law needs fairer hand

Law needs fairer hand

These photos taken by a woman right as a taxi driver was molesting her and abusing her resulted in a six-month licence suspension - although the driver already was driving without a licence. (Photos via FB/ceclip)
These photos taken by a woman right as a taxi driver was molesting her and abusing her resulted in a six-month licence suspension - although the driver already was driving without a licence. (Photos via FB/ceclip)

Recent incidents have highlighted a need for reform of not just laws in Thailand, but attitudes, to bring the country into the 21st century. One of those incidents gained a high level of prominence because of social media. A taxi driver hired by a woman on Sukhumvit Road groped and abused her, causing a great deal of distress. Fortunately, she retained enough of her wits to fend off the physical and verbal assault, and took photos of the driver as he repeatedly touched her. She then took the incident to the police. And at this point, it all turned unsettling.

The driver bragged to his passenger that he had drugs, and police found he had taken methamphetamine. His driver's licence had expired almost a year ago. The registration of the taxi he rented had expired two years ago. At this point, the Metropolitan Police Bureau's investigator assigned to the case, Pol Col Sanphet Suwantrai, turned it over to the Department of Land Transport where the driver, Somchai Simli, was given a ban of six months. DLT officials also fined him 5,000 baht for the assault.

No real justice appears to have been achieved, unless you consider an insignificant fine as just. The driving ban is meaningless since Mr Somchai has already shown he does not care about licensing. The administrative rulings are, arguably, less than a wrist slap when you consider there was an assault and verbal abuse of a female passenger. No drugs charges, no trial. This is a mishandled case and it is a shame.

While this was taking place in Bangkok, an arguably worse case was playing out up-country. The driver of a Royal Forest Department official attacked a woman and sexually abused her. This newspaper's reporter wrote the extraordinary story of what happened next: "The female official had reportedly intended to file a police complaint but was told not to do so by her supervisor, who reasoned it could damage the office's reputation." Instead, a committee headed by a senior official investigated.

Clearly more interested in the RFD's reputation than the ordeal suffered by an employee, this committee ruled that from now on it would ban females from up-country duties unless a second female official was present. This is mind-boggling to say the least. Approaching the whole disturbing incident in such a manner is blaming the victim for the serious crime that was committed against her.

The government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given up its lamentable policy of attitude adjustment for its critics. But it does need to exact reform of attitudes within the civil service -- besides the entire judicial system.

When police issue a warning to people that they face five years in prison for using an e-cigarette, as they did last week, it becomes incomprehensible then that men who physically assault women can walk away from their crimes.

The police and the military are often accused of making up the rules as they go along. Social media revealed the story of a Malaysian tourist who tried to escape payment of a traffic fine by replacing his locked vehicle wheel with a spare wheel, and police allowed him to go; the army captain who supervised the death of a recruit by exhaustion is to be reprimanded; a foreigner who complained in a video about Phuket taxi prices was "encouraged" to apologise -- to the taxi drivers.

There needs to be proper respect for rule of law, but this is hardly possible if authorities are not prepared to ensure that everyone is subject to fair and proper justice or see that penalties meet the severity of the crime.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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