In Surat Thani, a 24-year-old stepfather has admitted to sexually abusing his infant stepdaughter. When the child cried out, he punched her in the stomach but was unaware she lost consciousness before leaving the house. Police are waiting to question the mother to determine whether she was aware or involved.
The case began when Police Sub-Lieutenant Seksan Chuidon, Deputy Investigation Officer at Muang Surat Thani Police Station, received a report from doctors at Surat Thani Hospital on the evening of 3 June 2026. They had admitted a girl just over one year old who had been abused and was now deceased. Upon investigation, it was initially learned that before the child's death, she had been transferred from Somdet Phra Yuparat Wiang Sa Hospital in Wiang Sa District, unconscious. The child's mother, Mrs. Phojanee (surname withheld), and the child's grandmother had brought her to the hospital, reporting abdominal bloating and giving medication, but the child lost consciousness. Doctors provided emergency care and transferred her to Surat Thani Hospital, where she later died.
Preliminary examination by doctors at Surat Thani Hospital found bruises and both new and old wounds on the child's body, including a fracture on the back of her skull. There were also signs suggesting possible sexual abuse. The doctors collected tissue and bodily fluids from the child for analysis. It is suspected the child may have been assaulted with a hard object. Authorities coordinated with Wiang Sa Police Station to conduct further investigations.
Subsequently, officers from Wiang Sa Police Station, led by Police Colonel Narong Rakprathum, Chief of Wiang Sa Police, brought in 24-year-old stepfather Mr. Nithisak for questioning due to suspicious circumstances. A drug test showed the presence of illegal substances in his body, leading to his detention on charges of using Category 1 narcotics.
Reports then emerged that the 24-year-old stepfather confessed to digitally and sexually abusing the child by rubbing, though he denied causing her death by physical assault. He remains under investigation and detained on drug use charges. Forensic officials collected his DNA samples to aid the ongoing investigation.
On 5 June 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthep Rangmanee, Deputy Investigation Officer at Wiang Sa Police Station, along with Police Sub-Lieutenant Sutthisak Sanit, brought Mr. Nithisak in for further questioning in the presence of his lawyer. After previously confessing to physically assaulting the stepchild leading to her death, he was formally charged with assault causing death. The investigation team received the death certificate stating the cause of death was due to internal injuries and genital tearing.
Detailed questioning revealed Mr. Nithisak claimed he began abusing and sexually molesting the girl, nicknamed Noon, starting 31 May. On the afternoon of 3 June, he again sexually abused her. When the child cried out, he punched her in the chest and abdomen, unaware she had lost consciousness. Afterwards, he left the house.
Following these statements, the police formally charged Mr. Nithisak, in the presence of his lawyer, with sexually abusing a girl under 13 years old resulting in her death.
Meanwhile, Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthep stated that during the suspect's interrogation, it remains unclear whether the child's mother, Mrs. Phojanee, was present during the incidents. Around midnight, Mrs. Praphapan Ketkaew, Head of the Social Development and Welfare Group from the Surat Thani Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office, along with the child's aunt, filed a complaint with the police. Preliminary victim statements revealed Mrs. Phojanee, the child's sister, had left her home about a month ago to live with Mr. Nithisak, who works as a durian farm laborer in Wiang Sa District, bringing her one-year-old child with her and ceasing contact with her family. The child's death from abuse and sexual assault was only then discovered. Police will summon Mrs. Phojanee for questioning to determine if the child's mother was involved or aware of her husband's actions.