Weeks after police released an 80-year-old man accused of raping three minors and pimping them out to six other senior men, authorities re-arrested him and others after the victims’ families took their story to the press.
Udon Thani police announced yesterday the arrests of Somdee Nam-asa, 80, and five other men aged 60 to 72 for raping three teen girls aged 12, 13 and 15.
One other senior man reportedly fled and has gone to ground in Bangkok.
The three victims, who are cousins, were taken to the police by their mothers on Sept. 9 to accuse Somdee, their neighbor, of raping them several times since March and threatening to kill them if they told anyone.
Somdee then started selling the girls to other senior men in the area for a THB500 commission while he would bribe the victims with THB200 to 400 cash each time.
The victims were sent for a physical examination while Somdee was arrested three days later before released on bail – only to return the village and threaten the victims anew.
Living in fear, the mothers took the story to the Thai Radio Center and Damrongdhama Center, a rights organization, prompting the arrest of six other old men. Four of the men confessed of buying sexual services from the the victims, but claimed they couldn’t “get it up” in the end.
Despite the old men’s protestations of innocence through impotence, Police said they’ll go forward collecting evidence to prosecute them, Thairath reported.
“Whether they were willing or not, it is still illegal,” police said. “Threatening the family of the victims will be also included in the prosecution. Police will gather evidence and witnesses to prosecute these men. Even though they denied the charges.”
Photo: Upyimfc
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