Torn pancreas led to teen cadet's death

Torn pancreas led to teen cadet's death

A 15-year-old boy who died after being injured at a tutorial school while preparing to become a student at a military academy, died as a result of a badly torn pancreas, according to an autopsy result.

His father Phitsanu Sapsin suspects the death resulted from physical assaults caused by disciplinary action. However, a tutor yesterday attributed the tragedy to "rugby-style playing" among friends.

"I believe my son was assaulted, but the culprits have yet to be identified," Mr Phitsanu said, adding he is gathering more evidence to back his complaint lodged with police on Thursday, one day after his son, Thapakorn, aka Chaidan, was admitted to a hospital in Nakhon Sawan.

"I came to learn that my son also sustained a head injury and had a broken arm. Why did the tutorial school owner keep my son's phone and not allow him to inform his family? My son was kept at the school until he fell unconscious ... before the school sent him to hospital and informed me later," he said.

Thapakorn, from Tak province, had spent almost two years studying at the tutorial school in the province's Muang district to follow his dream to become a student at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.

Mr Phitsanu said he has a recording of a phone conversation with a woman who claimed her son had decided to leave the tutorial school after witnessing unbearable punishments, ranging from being ordered to finish heavy chores alone to what he described as "group assaults" by students.

The woman called him after learning about the boy's death.

The autopsy reportedly found Thapakorn suffered multiple injuries.

The boy had seven stitches to his head and his right hand was broken. There were also evidence that he had been hit with a hard object across his back and his legs. His internal organs were also in bad condition, which included bruising to the lungs and a torn pancreas.

Natthaphon Thawonphibun, a former military officer who runs the tutorial school, said yesterday the unfortunate events occurred after Thapakorn had been playing with his friends.

They were imitating a rugby game by falling on a player after which everyone "piled on that person", Mr Natthaphon said. Thapakorn was that fallen player, he said, claiming that was what his friends said.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (7)