The latest sex crime charges to seize headlines see at least 40 men being accused, but while the figure shocks, it remains part of a far too normalised reality. The general public was shocked to learn of a horrific crime this week -- the gang rape of a year-old girl in Phangnga's Takua Thung district last year.
Their initial shock was perhaps only amplified when they found out that at least 40 men from the village of Ban Koh Raet in tambon Lo-yung were facing accusations of their involvement in several episodes of rape. Not long after the news broke, some Ban Koh Raet villagers questioned if such a dreadful crime could have really taken place in the Muslim village. They were afraid that the accusations would tarnish their otherwise wholesome reputation.
Several villagers describe the community as peaceful and tight-knit. Moral and religious codes were strictly upheld here, as far as many were concerned. However, the number of tourists in the village has dropped dramatically since the news broke. Thus far in the investigation, authorities have learned of the widespread use of kratom , a psychoactive drug, in the village. The finding promptedspeculation that the alleged rapists were under the influence of the drug while committing the crime.
It is ultimately up to the police to unearth the truth of the matter. Meanwhile, villagers should resist jumping to conclusions about the plausibility of the crime taking place just behind their backs. Instead, they should focus on sympathising with the victim and her family, who suffer from immense pain stemming from these allegations. Villagers should not treat the girl and her mother as if they are enemies to be shunned from the community. News of the gang rape accusations surfaced last Sunday after the girl's distraught mother lodged a complaint with the police.
Before that, three men had already been indicted with raping the girl, but the year-old mother wanted the police to extend their probe. According to her daughter, there were at least 40 men involved in a series of rapes taking place from May to October last year.
