The news broke yesterday (Jan 8) when Krabi Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Boonthawee Toeraksa called officials for a meeting after inspecting the scene of the incident and checking CCTV footage from nearby.
Maj Gen Boonthawee said, “The tourist, Shemiakina Polina, 28, is a Russian national who stayed on the third floor of a hotel on Phi Phi Island with her mother.
“On New Year’s Eve (Dec 31), Ms Polina went out for New Year’s countdown and came back to the room at about midnight. She wanted to go out again, but her mother did not allow her to go. She sneaked out from the back of the room and climbed down from a cement pole, but she slipped and hit the base of the pole,” he explained.
“After that, her mother took her to a clinic on Phi Phi Island. In the morning she went to Maya Bay and Phang Nga but she felt pain again, so she went to a hospital in Phuket,” he noted.
“While she was being treated at the hospital she told her Russian friend who can speak English to inform Phuket Tourist Police. There was a misunderstanding that arose that she was raped and attacked,” he explained.
“This misunderstanding is a because media did not screen the news before they published it. After Ms Polina had the accident she did not report it to police. She only told her friend to report to police. So there was a misunderstanding that she was raped,” he added.
“We have already informed her mother about what happened with her daughter. Ms Polina also apologised for the misunderstanding. A video clip has been recorded as an evidence,” he noted.
Information in the first report (see story here) was provided to The Phuket News by Lt Tanagon Tammakhan of Phi Phi Island Police on Jan 5, saying, “I have yet to conclude questioning the person who discovered the Russian woman (who he then declined to name).
“We are also trying to track down any people in the area at the time of the attack who might be able to provide useful information,” he said.
“The victim told me that she was attacked by a man whom she believes was also Russian,” Lt Tanagon noted.
“However, she said that she could not remember what he looked like and if presented with photos of suspects she could not identify him,” he said.
However, when The Phuket News contacted Phi Phi Police Chief Lt Col Chetpan Wichaidee, he emphasised at the time that details were unclear and refused to provide information on the case.
“I am sorry, but we are not giving any news on this case right now because the details are not clear. Please wait a few days for us to get more information first,” said Col Chetpan.