Buri Ram: A social media group has raised 45,000 baht in donations to help the family of a six-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by three boys between the ages of six and 11 in Krasang district last Sunday.
Techa Thabthong, of the Because We Care social network page, said he surveyed the home of the girl's family in Krasang district and found the family to be poor.
He said 2,000 baht of the donation money was used to pay back to the parents of one of the boys. The parents had given the money to the girl's grandmother to take her to the hospital for a checkup soon after the alleged sexual assault.
Mr Techa said the pay-back was to free the girl's family of any feeling that they were indebted to the boy's parents, which might affect the police investigation in the case.
The girl's grandmother is believed to have alerted the network page to the alleged attack.
The girl, a Pathom 1 (grade 1) student of a local school, was reportedly sexually violated by the three boys aged 6, 8 and 11.
The case is being handled by local police. Police, psychologists and social welfare officials have been to see both the girl and her alleged attackers.
One of the boys said he offered to pay the girl 35 baht to engage in a sexual act with him and other boys. The boy said the act was consensual and non-violent.
The boy admitted attempts were made to have sexual intercourse with the girl, according to officials who interviewed the boys and the young victim. The police have questioned witnesses in the case and collected evidence from the attack scene.
Kuljira Chobsawai, head of the welfare home for children and families in Buri Ram, said it must be established if sexual violation had taken place and if so who was involved.
However, she noted the alleged attackers were minors under the law, and may not face criminal punishment.
Ms Kuljira said experts may talk to the boys about how to correct their behaviour. Their parents must also advised on how to take better care of their children.
She said the welfare home has given the girl emotional counselling and psychological experts are on hand to help.
Earlier, the girl's grandmother said she had saved the girl from the three boys. She was driving a motorcycle by the village pond when she spotted the boys forcing themselves on her granddaughter. She went in and snatched the girl from them.
Meanwhile, Yongyut Wongpiromsarn, adviser to the Department of Mental Health, said the boys need professional help to prevent them from committing a similar crime when they grow up.