In Surin, a monk was arrested for deceiving and sexually abusing a child who worked at the temple in exchange for food from the alms bowl. The case surfaced after the child's friend observed the behavior. Following his arrest, he posted a story asking for forgiveness for the disappointment caused, claiming he was defeated by evil.
Reporters stated that yesterday afternoon (23 May) at Sri Narong Police Station, Mr. Sompong Pansema, village headman of Ban Nong Thep, Village No. 9, Narong Subdistrict, Sri Narong District, Surin Province, brought 12-year-old Miss Aoy (a pseudonym) and her relatives to file a complaint with Police Lieutenant Thanakorn Roikaew, deputy investigation officer of Sri Narong Police Station. The complaint stated that from late April 2026 until now, a monk named Sathian Uttharasri had lured the girl into a monk's quarters within a temple compound and committed sexual abuse and molestation while still ordained.
Upon receiving the report, police officers accompanied by Mr. Chalermchai Khumthong, the district defense official of Sri Narong, went to inspect the scene. They found 45-year-old monk Sathian sitting inside the quarters and brought him in for questioning at Sri Narong Police Station before proceeding to defrock him.
Mr. Sompong Chaisena said he had received complaints from villagers many times but did not believe the monk would commit such acts against a child until 22 May, when a boy named Ae (pseudonym) and girl Aoy entered the temple quarters to clean and rake leaves. Then, Sathian invited them inside, sending Ae out to buy snacks.
While Ae was out buying snacks, he saw Aoy's shoes inside the room and peeked in, witnessing monk Sathian molesting and raping the girl inside the quarters. Ae reported this to the community leader and village headman, who then brought the children to report to the police. The authorities proceeded to defrock Sathian and charged him to face justice.
The victim, girl Aoy, lives with her grandmother, who has mental health issues, as her parents are separated. She regularly cleans the temple in exchange for meals from the alms bowl. During these times, Sathian would take her to the quarters and repeatedly sexually abuse her, paying 200 to 300 baht each time to keep her from telling anyone in the village until the matter became public.
Initially, police arranged for the victim to undergo a medical examination and took photographs for the crime scene reenactment. Police Lieutenant Thanakorn Roikaew will summon girl Aoy for further questioning alongside multidisciplinary professionals to establish facts and evidence for proceeding with the case against monk Sathian.
Monk Sathian was taken into custody for defrocking, summoned for interrogation, formally charged, and the police opposed his bail request.
Reporters noted that while under custody, monk Sathian posted a story saying, “I apologize to everyone. Please forgive me. I ask for forgiveness from all whom I disappointed. I am the one defeated by evil.”