Society worries about increasingly violent youth

“My husband was a good man and a family leader. Despite his disability, he worked hard and did everything to earn money for our family. He often told me he wanted to see our two children able to have higher education... He never had a fight with anyone, just worked for money and came back to us when he had days off. I have no idea what to do without him now,” lamented widow Rungnapa Sae-iew.

Her 36-year-old husband Somkiat Srichan was allegedly fatally attacked by six youngsters on Sunday.

The video clip of Somkiat being attacked with swords and bricks in Bangkok’s Soi Chokchai 4 area, while a woman shouted encouragement to the killers, has circulated on Thai social media and drawn condemnation.

As four of the alleged attackers were policemen’s sons, the community response was to demand justice.

The couple had two sons, one studying in Mathayom 1 and the other Prathom 5. They had odd jobs in Nakhon Pathom, but Somkiat went to work for higher pay at a relative’s bread shop in Bangkok after their youngest son’s anaemia aggravated and money was needed for treatment.

“My ailing youngest son passed out in grief after learning of his father’s death … Our family is already poor and in difficulty and it’s worse now. Our kids won’t get to have higher education like their father had hoped for,” Rungnapa said sadly.

She called for the police to act against the killers and provide security to Somkiat’s relatives who lives in the neighbourhood. The nephew, Methat Polprasert, confirmed the need for police protection and further arrests of those involved in the attack. “A day after [the assault], 4-5 motorcycle-riding youngsters came around and shouted threats,” he said.

Witness Ananchai Chaidech and lawyer claimed the six had announced they were sons of police during the assault to prevent anyone from helping Somkiat. They chased the limping man 200 metres into the alley to cut and stab him with swords and hit him with bricks.

“Two more women were shouting encouragement to the killers and mocked the victim as a disabled person,” he said.

Acting Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Sanit Mahathaworn affirmed he would provide justice to the deceased man’s family. He said a police probe found that four out of the six attackers were sons of police and they claimed to having been drunk, leading to an argument and subsequent attack on the victim.

Frequent recent violence by the youth in Thailand has led to criticism of their tendency towards aggression.

Some community members have called for harsher punishments. However, those working with juveniles insisted rehabilitation for such wrongdoing youths would be more appropriate.

Ban Kanchanapisek Youth Training and Observation Centre director Ticha Na Nakorn said the youths might not have realised the consequences and heavy punishment for their actions and a criminal record would narrow their choices in life. She said most problems stemmed from the family upbringing.

“The fact they were children of policemen didn’t necessarily mean they knew the law. They might have been raised amid violence or spoiled so they would need to be re-instructed. [Events like this] should be the responsibility of parents who should be closer to their kids,” she added.

Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s Department of Children and Youth deputy chief Supatcha Suttipol said violence among teens was on the rise each year and the family was often a major factor contributing to this problem.

“Policemen’s children might be raised to be fearless and if exposed to that kind of [atmosphere], they could develop aggressive behaviour.

“It’s up to the family to instil in children thoughts and virtues or set examples for them. Violence among youth can also originate from parents’ divorce, alcohol problems or drug abuse, which they have seen often and just copied,” she said.

Supatcha explained that juvenile case punishments were up to a judge’s discretion. Some might be sent to juvenile homes while others were punished under criminal codes. If jailed, the youths would serve time in juvenile centres under the Justice Ministry for attitude and behavioural adjustment and rehabilitation.

Women and Men’s Progressive Movement Foundation director Jadet Chaowilai said youths committing violent attacks, which resulted in injury and death, must face due legal procedure and mental health rehabilitation. They might have committed such crimes because of family issues and they just reacted with aggression.