4 polices charged of torturing a high school student in Prachinburi after 7 years of incident

On 15 Dec 2016, Prachinburi court accepted the criminal lawsuit on the case that a victim of torture, Ritthirong Chuenchit suing Prachinburi police after more than six years of justice seeking. The hearing started since November 2015 – Dec 2016 (12 months in total). Prachinburi Provincial Court is now conducting pretrial discovery in the Black Case no. 2 5 58/925 in which Mr. Ritthirong Chuenchit filed against seven police officers including two from the Muang Prachinburi Police Station and five from the Prachinburi Provincial Police.

They are accused of being complicit in the abuse of official power, abuse of office, offences against body, and infringement on freedom as per Articles 157 , 200, 295, 305, 310, 391coupled with Articles 83 and 91of the Penal Code with the maximum sentence of death. Rittirong Chuenjit was allegedly beaten by police officers while in detention in January 2009. Rittirong had also filed a case with the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission which dismissed the case citing that there was no concrete evidence against the police.

OHCHR continues to raise concern with the government on the lack of accountability on torture cases in Thailand. The Court decided to accept the case based on the psychological and medical reports of the victim.