Today an appeals court in the northeastern province of Kalasin upheld the death penalty given to a former village chief for the rape and fatal assault of an 18-year-old woman in 2015.
Krittidech Rawengwan, now 36, a former headman of Baan Si Than village, stood accused of rape and physical assault that led to the death of high school senior Reudeewan Polprasin.
In March 2017, Krittidech pleaded not guilty to a lower court, but he was sentenced to death and ordered to pay a compensation of THB2.39 million with 7 percent interests to the victim’s family, Daily News reported.
This morning, the court said that circumstantial and forensic evidence pointed to the defendant and upheld the ruling.
On Dec. 23, 2015, Reudeewan wan traveling home on her motorcycle around 6pm, when her attacker knocked over her vehicle on Ban Si Than – Ban Nong Muang Road.
The victim was reportedly dragged to the roadside ditch and raped. She was severely beaten as she fought back against her rapist.
The young woman later died from her injuries, which included a ruptured liver.
After a four-month-long investigation, police arrested Krittidech, a village chief at the time, on April 4, 2016.
Circumstantial evidence show that Krittidech had a biting wound on his right thumb, proved to have been caused by human teeth. Police also concluded that a wound on his testicle as well as scratches all over his body were caused from a fight, Komchadluek reported.
Last month, Thailand carried out its first execution in 9 years on a 26-year-old man convicted of robbery and murder. While the decision drew widespread condemnatin from human right activists, online polls and social media movements suggested the majority of Thai favored the execution.
