Pattaya Daily News

Thailand, the 10^th of October 2010: Published recently, the report shows that sex and abuse related crimes notified to authorities and involved agencies are on the rise in Thailand. Also outlined in the report are a number of possible preventative measures and treatments that need to be implemented in order to contain this prevalent issue in Thai society.

Numerous foundations and agencies including the Child Rights Protection Center compiled the statistical evaluations of the pressing issue, with all agencies finding that reported instances of abuse and sexual assault were on the rise. Most significantly were findings that across the board, incidents involving minors were up by at least 15% in 2008 and 2009.

The Prachabordee Center (Organised by the Ministry of Social Development & Human Security) reports the there were 161 reported cases of sexual abuse involving minors in 2008 rising to 188 for 2009. At present, the Prachabordee Center has recorded 157 cases in the first 9 months of 2010, with that figure expected to reach 200 by the end of December.

In an even more worrying trend, the Friends of Women Foundation this year reported that incidences relating to sexual assault were not only increasing, but also that the age of victims were getting younger. The foundation conveyed that the most at risk age group targeted by sexual miscreants was 11-15-years-of-age, while the youngest report victim had been a 3-year-old girl in 2009.

Ms. Suphensri Phuengkhoksoong, head of the Friends of Women Foundation, emphasis the dire need to stem the increase in child abuse and sexual assault, stating that it was the most pressing issue affecting Thailand across all social classes. “We are in the midst of a systemic social crisis,” explained Ms. Phuengkhoksoong.

Along with the relating physical and emotional trauma experienced by victims of sexual assault, organisations such as the Friends of Women Foundation were finding reports of permanent mental health conditions and disorders increasing in correlations with the crimes themselves.

“Child victims are increasingly reported suffering from conditions such as insomnia, depression, anxiety and innumerable other disorders, while incidents of child victims being admitted to mental institutions are also on the rise,” according to Ms. Phuengkhoksoong.

Ms. Phuengkhoksoong also described a worrying trend in female victims being prevalent to acts of misandry (hatred towards men) or in severe cases, nymphomania (addiction to sex), as a result of their trauma. “Victims found to be suffering from such conditions have little self-respect left as a result of their suffering and harbour deep resentment against the opposite sex,” explained Ms. Phuengkhoksoong.

The Friends of Women Foundation Ms. Phuengkhoksoong are  actively seeking the implementation of a more concise ‘sex education’ program in both public and private schools in the Kingdom,  also maintaining support for the mandatory participation of youths in martial arts and defence courses from a young age.

Despite the availability of numerous organisations, foundations and agency to help sufferers and victims of violent and/or sexual crimes, education in Thailand and the nation’s traditional societal values means many more victims of such crimes go unreported. Most concerned bodies believe unreported crimes may account for more than double those provided to the agencies and authorities on a yearly basis.

In one of the most shocking cases in the last two years, a 6-year-old girl was raped by her biological father. The girl has since been admitted to the Emergency House Foundation suffering from numerous mental health conditions including early signs of nymphomania.

Regardless of Thailand being a signatory member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the country’s issues pertaining to the rights and protection of women and children still largely go on unresolved and particularly unreported in the mainstream media.

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