The school director, Mr Komkrit (who asked for his family name not to be published), presented himself at Phuket Town Police Station yesterday (Sept 10).
Mr Komkrit, Director of the private Thepamnuay Wittaya School on Thepkrasattri Rd on the north side of Phuket Town, was responding to the police complaint filed against him on Friday by the parents of 9-year-old Itthip “Nong Ninja” Boonrung.
Nong Ninja suffered a split lip and bruises to his head after he was allegedly struck by Mr Komkrit and had his head repeatedly pushed into a wall.
Mr Komkrit denied he had assaulted Nong Ninja. He had never even scolded Nong Ninja, he said.
Mr Komkrit gave police CCTV footage of his office reportedly recorded on the day of the incident.
In filing the complaint against Mr Komkrit, Nong Ninja’s mother, Chalermkwan Rachaphonsaen, 54, said this was not the first incident in which the school director had physically intimidated children at the school.
“This time there are witnesses,” she said.
However, the only “witness” to the attack now appears to be Nong Ninja’s 4-year-old sister, who told the parents what happened. The 4-year-old girl was questioned by officers at the Damrongdharma Center (Phuket Provincial Office of the Ombudsman) on Friday.
Mr Komkrit yesterday declined to respond to questions as to why such a young child would fabricate such a specific lie.
Mr Komkrit said that Nong Ninja was a “special child” who he often let play on his computer in his office.
“But sometimes if I am not in the room I have to take him to do other activities in the school as there is a power board with many plugs in it that could be a danger of electric shock for him,” Mr Komkrit said.
“As for the claims that I assaulted him, for which the parents have filed a complaint against me, that is not true,” Mr Komkrit added.
“If Nong Ninja’s parents have any problems, they should come and discuss them with me first,” he said, before turning his attention to Nong Ninja’s parents’ financial affairs.
“The problem may be from a notice issued by the finance department about tuition fees. The parents have owed tuition fees since 2021, but they have not come to negotiate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Taiwiwat Pachakan, who is still the homeroom teacher of Nong Ninja’s sister, came to the defence of Mr Komkrit.
He confirmed that Nong Ninja was known to be a child of special needs, and was often seen in and around Mr Komkrit’s office.
“As for the director, as far as I know, the director is a good-natured person,” he said.