The father of the 6-year-old boy arrived at Chalong Police Station about 11:12pm on Aug 18 to report the incident, Chalong Police said through a statement.
The man’s son, a Grade 1 student at a school in Rawai Subdistrict, Phuket, had been physically assaulted by older students at the same school.
A video of the incident was later shared on social media. It was openly reported online that the school was Wat Sawang Arom School in Rawai.
The case involves a child under 12 years old, which falls under the Child Protection Act of 2003 and Section 73 of the Criminal Code, Chalong Police said.
“According to these laws, children under 12 who commit acts that would otherwise be considered crimes are not subject to punishment, the statement continued.
“Instead, the investigation officer must forward the case to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS). Chalong Police Station followed this procedure, sending the child responsible for the assault, along with their parents, to a children’s shelter to ensure safety and investigate the incident.”
On Aug 23, investigators arranged a meeting with both sets of parents, the school director, volunteer lawyers, and the deputy director of investigations from Chalong Police Station, the statement explained.
“The goal was to resolve the issue, negotiate compensation and explain the legal process. Both sides agreed on a compensation settlement. However, when the payment was due, the parents of the child responsible for the assault could not make the payment as agreed,” the statement said.
“Regarding the incident that occurred, Chalong Police Station was aware of and did not ignore the incident,” Chalong Police assured.
“After receiving the report, [officers] urgently coordinated with relevant agencies to ensure that the parties received justice according to the law and forwarded the case to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to proceed with the relevant matters,” the statement concluded.
Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub