The spine-chilling rape-murder of a 13-year-old girl who was travelling on Bangkok-bound overnight train has triggered a public outcry.
The sad case of Nong Kaem has worsened the country’s shabby record regarding sexual violence. We must face the fact. Almost every week, we read in the news of at least one case that is serious enough to catch media attention. There must be quite a few others that go unreported.
It can happen to a girl, no matter how young she is.
A few days ago, a grandmother filed a complaint against her husband for raping their 14-year-old granddaughter who for years kept silent out of fear and embarrassment.
It was by chance the grandmother found out the girl had been raped, through audio clips that came to light when she had a phone repaired. Her granddaughter must have been 10 or 11 when the crime was first committed.
Earlier this week, local media reported a gang-rape attempt by eight schoolboys in Chon Buri. They locked up a girl who fought fiercely to defend herself in an empty classroom during a school break. It’s a matter of luck that she was able to get help just in time.
Meanwhile, a woman yesterday sought the arrest of her new husband for raping her young daughter.
Many still remember two cases that shocked the country. One involved an 11-year-old Trang native who was killed by her neighbour.
The girl went missing for a few days with her body eventually found hidden in a drainage pipe not far away from her home.
The other is the case of six-year-old Nong Cartoon who was brutally killed by a serial rapist/killer as she was left alone in the family’s car in Samut Prakan late last year.
As the country reels from the news of Nong Kaem’s death, some Thais have kicked off campaigns to toughen punishment for this type of crime — death for rapist/murderers.
The campaigns underline public frustration over the frequency of sex violence cases, and also the way the justice system handles rape-related cases.
There must be something wrong if rapists can get out of jail so soon, they argue. Some assailants are caught repeating their offence not long after their release. One case in point is Nui, the convicted rapist/murderer who killed Nong Cartoon.
One campaign is headed by former Miss Thailand and actress Panadda “Boom” Wongphudee. Her call for capital punishment has landed her in hot water as many say her own sexy image may indirectly encourage sex crimes.
Panadda shrugs off the criticism. She says her main motive is to seek a safer society for her daughter.
There has been no rape-related death penalty for 15 years, while the number of rape cases is rising substantially. The age of the victims, meanwhile, appears to be getting lower and lower. The man who killed Nong Cartoon was given the death penalty, commuted to life after he confessed.
Another campaign for reform is headed by netizen Pichit Kachadpanchon, through change.org. The online campaign calls for an overhaul of the justice system.
He says he wants to make sure the punishment fits the crime. Further debate is needed on how harsh the penalty should be, he says, adding death cannot be ruled out.
Initially, he said the penalty for rape-related cases, which is now for to 20 years' imprisonment, must be toughened to bring it on par with murder cases, or 15-20 years, as some argue the trauma of rape is such that “rape victims no longer have a life”. The courts should review the way they reduce sentences, as in some cases convicted rapists are released just a few years after they are jailed.
At the time of writing, the campaign has pulled in 76,205 signatures.
A friend of mine who is against the death penalty says he will eventually join the campaign as the situation is getting worse and worse. Perhaps he hopes this may deter any rapist from committing the crime. He’s right — not joining any campaign may send the wrong signal that we are indifferent.
What about you? Please join any campaigns if you think it’s worth your support. Would be rapist-murderers need to get the message: We are dead serious.
Ploenpote Atthakor is Deputy Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.