Violence is never justified as a way to deal with disputes. It can result in serious injury and even death, making dispute situations more difficult to resolve.
I am quite sure that anyone who has seen the video clip of a larger-bodied woman severely beating up her girlfriend at a dormitory building in Bangkok must have felt upset. At the same time they must feel heartfelt sympathy over the injured woman who was weaker and smaller than the attacker. After seeing the clip which went viral on social media last week, several questions came to mind.
Why did she act so violently against her weaker and smaller girlfriend? What caused her to be so unkind, provocative, aggressive or violent towards her lover? And was she not afraid of the law or did she realise her actions could land her in jail if they caused personal injury or death?
Anucha Charoenpo is news editor, Bangkok Post.
Over the past week the clip featuring the 27-year-old woman, later identified Kanchana Sinprasert, a native of Sukhothai province, has triggered similar concerns among many. Ms Kanchana was attacking her 22–year-old girlfriend Pimpilai, or "Nong Fang" Paksee, out of jealousy.
She used her motorcycle crash helmet to beat her girlfriend about the face and stomped on her several times, leaving her with a broken eye socket which needs surgery.
Ms Kanchana showed little self-restraint as she continued slapping her girlfriend in the face, pulling her hair and banging her head on the floor. She also ignored her girlfiend's pleas to let up.
Ms Kanchana repeatedly tried to force her girlfriend to get on her bike with her. Her girlfriend struggled fiercely, trying to pull her arm out of Ms Kanchana's grasp.
She eventually freed herself and sat down on a walkway in front of the dormitory's entrance gate. Few of the bystanders in the office made any attempt to help. One of the men who witnessed the scene appeared to post on Facebook, saying he did not have a key to unlock the door, so he was unable to leave the building to help her. In my view, that was a silly excuse and irresponsible.
The victim was able to survive after a couple who witnessed the attack left their room in the building next door to help her. They stepped in as the injured victim was prostrating herself at her attacker's feet. They spoke to Ms Kanchana and asked her to stop. The couple later called an ambulance to take Nong Fang to hospital for medical treatment.
In the clip, Ms Kanchana threatened to take legal action against anyone who recorded the attack. Later she fled from Bangkok to Sukhothai, where the law finally caught up with her.
The attack at the entrance to SB Place dormitory on Soi Ratchadaphisek 36 in Chatuchak district last Thursday was filmed by onlookers who kept telling her to stop.
The clip sparked public fury and triggered angry calls for justice. Netizens condemned her actions. The clip received millions of views and mainstream news outlets picked up the news, putting pressure on police to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The victim and her family lodged a complaint with Phahol Yothin police. Ms Kanchana was nabbed at her house in Sukhothai on a court warrant for assault. She was returned to the station in Bangkok last Tuesday.
She was later taken for a crime re-enactment where crowds scolded her. Police opposed bail as they feared she would destroy evidence and intimidate witnesses. However, the court granted her 120,000 baht bail and ordered her to report on Sept 11.
Ms Kanchana told police she beat up her girlfriend in a jealous, drunken rage. She is likely to be charged with assault causing serious injury, the penalty for which can stretch from six months to 10 years in jail.
Her girlfriend Pimpilai was badly hurt and will have take months off work to recover. Her medical expenses and compensation must be paid by Ms Kanchana.
Had Ms Kanchana cooled down for a moment and told her girlfriend to explain the matter, all of this could be been avoided.
One lesson from the saga is that school and family institutions should play a greater role in teaching kids to stay away from violence as they try to sort out conflicts.
Parents should also avoid acting aggressively in front of their kids so they will not imitate such conduct.
In my opinion, severe punishment should be meted out in this case, so society sends the message that such barbaric behaviour is unacceptable.