The family of the army cadet who died in October under suspicious circumstances has vowed to fight to the end after forensic autopsy results indicated he had several bruises believed to be from assaults.
Supicha Tanyakan, elder sister of Pakapong “Moei’’ Tanyakan, said the family received the results from the Justice Ministry’s Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS) on Friday afternoon.
The autopsy findings also confirmed that the first-year cadet’s broken fourth rib bone was not caused by CPR as earlier believed, Thai media reported on Saturday.
Pakapong, 18, died on Oct 17, one day after he returned to the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School after a short break. The academy provided a death certificate indicating he had died of sudden cardiac arrest but gave no details, his family said.
The family later secretly removed their son's body from a cremation ceremony at a temple on Oct 24 to undergo an autopsy at the CIFS. The autopsy found that his heart, bladder, stomach and brain were all missing while his skull was filled with tissue. The army later returned the organs to the family.
The pre-cadet school regiment commander was transferred to an inactive post shortly after news reports emerged about the army's handling of the case.
Ms Supicha said the results the family received on Friday dealt only with the exterior of Pakpapong’s body. An examination of his internal organs has not yet been finished.
She said the family would use the autopsy results to press a court case against those involved in the death of her brother.
Prayers for Pakapong were being held on Saturday evening and the funeral rite will take place on Sunday at 3.30pm at Wat Wiwekaram in tambon Bang Phra in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri.
Ms Supicha wrote to all media outlets that the family would not give any further interviews regarding his case.
An army fact-finding army committee looking into the death is expected to conclude its work next week.
ACM Chawarat Marungruang, chairman of the investigation panel, said the work was about 70% done and it expected to submit its report to the supreme commander next week, Thai media reported.
He declined to comment on the findings of the autopsy conducted for the family. He said his investigation would chronicle what happened at the cadet school from the time before Pakapong’s death to the date he died.
