METROPOLITAN Police is going to take legal action against the juristic person of a residential condominium in Thonburi area where a woman was raped on Monday night (Jan. 3) on charges of blocking the police team from going in to investigate and arrest the suspect, TV Channel 7 said today (Jan. 5).
Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan Kaewsang-ek, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police Bureau, said police investigators will seek an arrest warrant for the suspect, Mr. Montree Yaikratok, 40, the security guard chief at this building, on the charges of breaking and entering and raping a 36-year-old woman.
It is as yet unclear where the suspect currently is.
The juristic person refused police entry to chase the suspect on the grounds of not having a search warrant, but Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan explained that police can go in without a warrant to arrest criminals.
In this case the police had been directly notified by the victim therefore the juristic person should have cooperated with the police in tracking down and apprehending the suspect.
In not doing so the juristic person faces charges of obstructing the police from carrying out their duties and helping the suspect escape.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan added that Petchkasem police station is in the process of collecting evidence in this case.
A background check revealed that the suspect was convicted of raping of a child under 15 years of age in Sa Kaeo province in 2013.
The security company too faces investigation for hiring a sex offender to work as a security guard with this being in violation of Security Business Act.
Meanwhile Pol. Lt. Col. Thongchai Thepcharoen, deputy chief at Petchkasem police station, said he was notified of the rape at 1.50 a.m. and quickly contacted all patrol teams and it took less than five minutes to reach the building, Sanook.com said.
Although the juristic person and the security guards refused to let them into the building, they did meet the victim, Ms. Noi, 36.
She told them that after she returned from running errands she discovered she could not enter her unit as she had locked herself out.
She then went downstairs and asked Montri to help open the door. He called a locksmith who succeeded in doing so and then the two of them went down the elevator.
However after a while there was a knock on her door and when she opened it, Montri forced himself him, handcuffed her, then raped her.
After that he released her and lay back to rest so as to rape her again, she said, at which point she quickly grabbed her clothes and dashed out then called the police.
CAPTION:
The condominium building where a woman was raped on Monday night. The Thai headline says, “Juristic person was at fault for not letting police go in and catch the criminal.” Photo: TV Channel 7
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