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A three-year-old child in Ang Thong was allegedly sexually abused by her preschool teacher to the point of injury, local media reported on Thursday.
A doctor confirmed she had suffered intimate injuries, and the family approached the police.
“I am heartbroken and angry that my great-granddaughter has been subjected to this,” the 64-year-old was reported as saying. “I have only seen this in the news but never thought it would happen to one of my own, committed by a teacher no less.” She vowed to fight for justice through the courts.
The child’s mother, 20, who attended the same school, said the school had threatened to sue back. The grandmother, 42, said she hoped for justice but that the family could not afford a lengthy court battle.
The accussed reported to the Chaiyo Police Station on Thursday afternoon with his lawyer, to acknowledge the allegations and denied all charges. Police said they released the teacher after interrogation as there remains no clear evidence of the abuse while promising to investigate further into the issue.
Police officials also said that they have confiscated hard disks and CCTV footage from the school after the school director informed them that their CCTV cameras were broken.
Sexual assault in schools is a serious issue throughout Thailand, with many activists arguing that schools are not safe places. The BadStudent activist group, comprised of mostly high school students, have rallied multiple times outside of the Ministry of Education to call for reforms to the system including prosecuting instances of sexual abuse.
There have been multiple instances of sexual abuse in schools where the school have paid off the parents or threatened lengthy counter suits to protect the accused. The Bad Student Group say that abuse is commonplace and the system is designed to protect the establishment and the reputations of schools over the well-being of pupils.