Civil Engineer Detains, Abuses Student for Three Days in Nakhon Sawan
A 49‑year‑old civil engineer in Nakhon Sawan allegedly imprisoned, raped and repeatedly abused a 23‑year‑old female student for three days, stealing her belongings and extorting money. Police reportedly attempted to mediate a compensation settlement instead of arresting the suspect, who was later released on bail after admitting only to assault. The victim’s family says authorities failed to protect her and are pressing for additional charges, including attempted murder.
On October 6, the victim said the man called her angrily, accusing her of talking to other men, then came to her dorm, seized her phone, iPad, earrings and gold ring worth about 36,000 baht, and forced her to reveal her banking app passwords, transferring 14,000 baht from her account. He told her he would keep her belongings, but her mother and grandmother pleaded for the return of items needed for her upcoming graduation in four months. He then demanded she stay at his house in exchange for her belongings, and she reluctantly complied.
During the second night, while she was studying, he burst into the room, grabbed her, covered her mouth, threatened her with a gun, and broke five fake nails on her left hand before sexually assaulting her. Throughout the three‑day captivity he never sought medical treatment for her wounds, instead pouring saline solution on her injured fingers causing intense pain, and forced her to lie to her family saying she was fine. When her condition deteriorated from blood loss and lack of food, he finally went out to buy food, and it was then that her mother’s call made her break down in tears, prompting the mother to rush in and rescue her.
The victim’s aunt said she called 191 and contacted police, but when officers arrived they did not arrest the suspect, merely advising the parties to write a daily report themselves. After the family protested, police allowed the suspect to follow them to the station in his own car. Although investigators charged him with rape, bodily injury and unlawful detention, he admitted only to bodily injury and was released on bail of 200,000 baht.
After release, the suspect continued to threaten the victim, hiring a junior university friend of hers to monitor and photograph her movements. Police later visited the victim’s home and tried to persuade her elderly grandmother to accept compensation from the perpetrator to settle the matter and to state in court that she bore no grudge, which could jeopardize her chance at justice, especially as the suspect claims to be a local influencer and remains employed in his government position.
The victim’s mother, tearfully recounting her daughter’s condition when rescued, said blood covered her mouth, her fingernails were torn off and infected, and her heart nearly broke as a mother. She described the acts as hellish and inhumane, urging police to add an attempted murder charge, but they refused, saying the suspect had not fired a weapon.
