Nakhon Nayok: A one-year and nine-month old infant who was sexually abused and beaten by a 50-year-old man in Ongkharak district died yesterday.
The girl's aunt, Sukanya (surname withheld), was informed by a neighbour on Monday that the child had been unconscious since falling down some stairs on Saturday night.
When Sukanya visited her niece at Nakhon Nayok Hospital, she found the child in a coma, with a brain haemmorrhage and bruises all over her body. She suspected the girl had not fallen down the stairs at all. The hospital confirmed the girl had been beaten and raped.
Sukanya said her niece had been cared for by another neighbour after the girl's parents separated and her father moved to another province for work.
Sukanya helped raise the child but, during the daytime, she entrusted her to the wife of Pichit (surname withheld), the suspect.
Pichit was arrested on Tuesday. He initially denied the accusations but eventually admitted to beating the girl because he was irritated by her crying.
He raped her because he was sexually excited after taking methamphetamine pills, or ya ba.
Police said Pichit has been addicted to ya ba for 20 years. He is being held at Nakhon Nayok Provincial Court and will be interrogated further. Police have denied him bail and will press charges later. The girl passed away yesterday at 6am.