Five Cambodian fishing crew members were arrested on Sunday (Feb 28) for allegedly raping two French tourists and attacking two other male tourists who tried to help the women on the resort island of Koh Kut.
The suspects – identified as Thi, 20, Bot Man, 20, Yim, 25, Pai, 22 and Jern, 25 – were believed to have swum to shore from their anchored fishing trawler and carried out the attack about 1km from a resort where the four tourists were staying.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said yesterday (Feb 29) the five suspects confessed to carrying out the attacks, which they allegedly said was due to them being intoxicated.
The injured French tourists are now in a safe condition, he said, adding the French embassy has been contacted to notify the victims’ relatives about the incident.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda had instructed his deputy Wut Liptapanllop to investigate whether other accomplices were involved, and provide assistance to the victims.
He said all suspects had been cooperating with investigators.
He said most crimes against foreigners were found to have been committed by migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Officers will have to intensify measures to keep tabs on them.
The measures include checks on whether they have criminal records, Pol Gen Pongsapat said, adding the information could lead police to suspects when crimes occur.
Pol Gen Chakthip said cases in which migrant workers come ashore to commit crimes have occurred before and police were able to catch the suspects.
“Police have always made full efforts to ensure security for both Thai and foreign tourists,” the police chief said.
“However, regarding what happened over the weekend, police will look into what may have been loopholes that allowed such an attack to take place.”
Meanwhile, police yesterday brought the five suspects to re-enact the crime on a road leading to a resort in Ban Khlong Hin where the assault took place.
About 50 officers, defence volunteers and rescue workers were called in to ensure security at the re-enactment after a crowd of locals turned up.
The suspects were divided into two groups. One group re-enacted the attack on a 57-year-old woman and another on a 25-year-old woman.
A villager breached the security line and punched one of the suspects in the face while the suspects were being brought back to a pick up truck, prompting officers to quickly whisk them away.
A tourist police officer in charge of Koh Kut has been transferred in the wake of the attacks.
Pol Maj Kittiwut Putnual, of the Tourist Police Division's Sub-Division 2, has been moved to the division office as he failed to quickly report the incident to his superiors, Pol Gen Pongsapat said.
He said a probe will be carried out to find out whether officers in the area were negligent in their duty, which allowed the attacks to take place. The number of police could be increased to help tourists, he said.
Chuchart Srisaeng, a former Supreme Court judge, wrote on Facebook the suspects could face a maximum punishment of life in prison if found guilty of attempted murder and gang rape.
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