A mother in Nakhon Ratchasima has filed a child abuse complaint against her husband after their two year old daughter was hospitalised with bruising across her body, allegedly caused by repeated physical abuse while the mother was at work.
The father is in custody and has been referred for drug testing.
The mother, 30 year old Siwaporn, went to Si Khio Police Station on June 25 after her husband, Sutthinai, came to her workplace to tell her their daughter had been hospitalised, at which point he admitted he had harmed the child.
When she arrived at Si Khio Hospital, she said the extent of the injuries left her in shock. Neighbours told her the abuse had been ongoing, with the father allegedly having held the girl’s head underwater in a basin on multiple occasions while Siwaporn was away.
Siwaporn said she believed her husband’s behaviour was directly linked to drug use, telling police the violence consistently occurred after he had taken drugs. She urged police not to release him, saying she feared he would reoffend and that her daughter’s safety remained at risk.
The child’s 60 year old maternal grandmother, who looks after the girl during the day, told reporters on June 26 that the child was still receiving treatment in the hospital, showing signs of bruising, vomiting, and acute distress around other people.
She said she had witnessed the father holding the child’s head underwater before the most recent incident and had tried to stop him but could not, at which point she called police.
The grandmother also told reporters that after the complaint was filed, people claiming to be associates of Sutthinai from the same drug network had approached the family and threatened to harm them if the case implicated their group.
She called on police to provide urgent protection. Officers said they are continuing to gather evidence and question those involved.
Separately, in May 2024, a father in Samut Prakan was taken into custody after allegedly choking, beating, and threatening his seven year old son with a knife during a video call with the boy’s mother.
The man later surrendered to police and allowed social services to take the child into care. He claimed he had not intended to abduct the boy but had taken him to stay with relatives.
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