It’s almost everyday that we hear stories about children being sexually assaulted and it’s quite alarming that it’s still going on all around the world. These children are helpless as some of them have become victims of their own family members – a statistic enforced by the finding that 93% of juvenile victims of child sexual abuse knew their attacker, and in 34% of the cases, the attacker was a family member.
Two sisters aged 13 and 14 were rescued by police when it was learnt that their father had been allegedly forcing the 13-year-old to have sex with a 65-year-old man in exchange for marijuana, reported The Star.
Source: Odisha Sun Times
The rescue mission at the girls’ home in Bangkok’s Huai Kwang district was carried out after their story was shared on social media by an advocate for underprivileged children’s rights and welfare.
Pol Maj General Worawat Watnakhonbuncha, Royal Thai Police’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) commander, instructed his deputy Pol Colonel Phumin Pumphanmuang to lead officials in investigating the allegation made by Baannokkamin Foundation director Surachai Sukkeawonn on Sunday (21 April).
The girls are now under the temporary care of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry after the police removed them from their house in a densely packed community in Bang-Kapi sub-district where they were staying with their 62-year-old father.
While pending investigation, the girls will undergo a physical examination at the Police General Hospital over suspicion of sexual abuse.
Source: The Star
Meanwhile, the police will be interviewing community leaders and neighbours and checking out their evidence. The 14-year-old girl had also testified to police, the multi-disciplinary team and social workers that her father had given her to this man who raped her in exchange for marijuana.
A source at the ATPD mentioned that the police have already identified the suspect as a 65-year-old man who lives in the same community. The police are now gathering evidence to apply for an arrest warrant for the man, the source said.
It’s really saddening to hear stories like this. We just hope awareness about this issue will continue to increase so that incidents like this don’t happen.
Also read: Man Strangles Wife to Death When Their 5th Kid Turns Out to Be Another Girl
