Prinn faces mounting abuse cases

Prinn faces mounting abuse cases

Sixth accuser 'was assaulted in 2020'

Prinn: Could have bail revoked
Prinn: Could have bail revoked

Three more people filed police complaints against former Democrat deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi on Monday accusing him of sexual misconduct, bringing the total number of accusers to eight.

The three were escorted by lawyer Sittra Biebangkerd to file their reports against the politician with Lumpini police in Bangkok at 2.20pm.

Mr Sittra identified the sixth complainant as a 26-year-old woman who said she was raped by Mr Prinn in 2020.

She was the one who presented an audio clip regarding the matter to Mr Sittra on Sunday, he said. It has since been aired publicly.

"She claimed the suspect had offered money in exchange for her silence, but she has stopped receiving the money," he said.

Mr Sittra identified the seventh complainant as a woman who claims she was molested by Mr Prinn in a car in 2019, when she was a 17-year-old intern, and the eighth as a woman who was molested by the suspect. She did not consent to publicise the details of her case, he said.

As for the previous five complainants, three of them filed reports with Lumpini police, while the rest each did so with police in Phetchaburi and Chiang Mai.

Mr Sittra told the media that he originally wanted to bring seven victims in on Monday to file complaints against Mr Prinn.

However, it was not convenient for some of them to come, he said.

He said most of the complainants were lured to dine with the suspect before allegedly being raped.

One complainant claims she was drugged and will soon file a complaint, while another person in the United Kingdom will be presented as a witness.

In addition, Pol Maj Gen Trairong Piwpan, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, on Monday updated the media on the progress of the police investigation into Mr Prinn's sex abuse cases.

He said police have gathered enough evidence from a hotel in Bangkok's Watthana district after the first complainant, an 18-year-old, filed a police report last week.

The evidence has been submitted to the Forensic Science Division for examination, he said.

Regarding reports of a police colonel and the suspect attempting to pressure the accusers to drop the charges, Pol Maj Gen Trairong said police have not found grounds for the allegations yet.

"If evidence is found, police will request the prosecutor to revoke Mr Prinn's bail," he said.

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