Criminal Court acquits Prinn of abusing 17-year-old girl

The court reasoned that the girl had failed to file a complaint against Prinn with police within three months after the alleged crime and so the statute of limitations had expired.

In the lawsuit against Prinn, public prosecutors alleged that Prinn removed a minor over 15 but under 18 from her parents with the intent of sexual abuse on the day of April 25, 2018 in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district.

Prinn pleaded innocence.

The court ruled that Prinn’s behaviours during the internship of the 17-year-old girl at that time showed that he did molest her.

However, the court reasoned that since the girl failed to file a complaint with the police within three months after the incident took place, the statute of limitations expired in accordance with Article 39(6) of the Criminal Case Procedural Code.

As a result, the court rejected the charge of molesting a minor against Prinn.

Public prosecutors had also charged Prinn with the more severe charge of taking away a minor over 15 but lower than 18 from parents with the intention to molest her.

The court also acquitted Prinn on this count.

The court reasoned that after Prinn offered to send the intern to her condominium in a van driven by his chauffeur, Prinn took the girl straight to the promised destination although he did molest the girl on the way.

The court noted that Prinn also allowed the girl to leave the van upon her request after the girl became scared following the molestation. As a result, Prinn was acquitted of the charge that he forced the girl to leave her parents.

Following the verdict reading, Prinn left the court with a face that showed no feelings and without speaking to reporters.

Earlier, the 17-year-old girl said she did file charges earlier because she was afraid of Prinn, who appeared to have political influence. She said she decided to press charges after she saw several other women come forward to file sexual abuse charges against him.

Prinn has previously been convicted in three cases and acquitted in another, while a verdict is pending in another case at the Chiang Mai court.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court previously sentenced Prinn to four years in jail for sexually abusing “Anna”, the ex-wife of Thanat Thanakit-amnuay, a high-society figure. Prinn was also ordered by the court to pay compensation of 2 million baht to the woman.

The South Bangkok court also convicted Prinn in two other sexual abuses cases, sentencing him to two years, and two years and eight months in jail, while the court acquitted him in another case.

Prinn was released on bail while appealing the convictions.