The Department of Correction (DoC) has pledged to investigate the allegation of sexual assault made by an inmate at Bang Kwang Central Prison, who claimed to have been drugged and raped by a cellmate earlier this year.
In a statement released on Sunday, the DoC denied sitting idly on the complaint, noting the inmate had been given a disciplinary action and the victim moved to a different wing of the prison.
The statement came two days after well-known lawyer Nititorn Kaewto posted the victim's plight on his Facebook account.
According to Mr Nititorn, the assault took place in January. The victim, he said, lost consciousness after drinking some coffee with his cellmates. As the assault took place, the victim regained consciousness and yelled out for his other cellmate, who was sleeping nearby.
Mr Nititorn said the victim first sought help from Wichien Chubthaisong, president of the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT), in April.
Mr Wichien ordered LCT's Human Rights Cases Subcommittee to provide legal assistance to the victim, but to date, the probe has yet to yield any result, with officers from Nonthaburi Provincial Police station saying they don't have the manpower to investigate the case, according to Mr Nititorn's post.
However, the DoC on Sunday rebuffed the claim, saying an investigation was launched as soon as the complaint was received.
The victim was immediately brought to Bang Kwang Central Prison Hospital for physical and psychological checks. It also noted that the case was reported to the Nonthaburi Provincial Police Station on Jan 15.
The perpetrator was given a disciplinary action, while the victim has been moved to a different wing, the statement said, adding the victim's psychological assessment came back normal.
He was not bullied by other inmates as Mr Nititorn alleged, the statement added.
The DoC also insisted the treatment of prisoners is in line with the United Nations (UN) Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules, which was intended to make prisons safer for everyone.
Pol Col Jaturon Anurakbundit, Nonthaburi Provincial Police Station superintendent, said that he has received a report of the assault and pledged to speed up the investigation.