PHANGNGA - Police are being urged to investigate and press charges against several more men accused of involvement in the gang-rape of 14-year-old girl, for which three men have been indicted.
The mother of the victim has lodged a fresh complaint with Khok Loi police station in Takua Thungdistrict calling for an extended probe into the sexual attacks on her daughter, who was repeatedly abducted from her house and raped over the course of six months.
According to the mother, dozens of people were involved in the savage attacks from May to October last year.
After learning of the assaults, the family sought assistance from the Muslim for Peace Foundation. This led to the arrest and arraignment of three men aged 25-30 years.
The three suspects allegedly took the girl to a beach and then drugged and raped her. They were indicted last month and reportedly released on bail.
The mother said she found out about the daughter's ordeal early this year after noticing the girl was easily startled, showed anxiety and cried at night.
The girl started telling about the attacks, a little by little. But not until she was placed under the care of social workers did she reveal there were more than three attackers.
The three suspects reportedly invited other men to join in the abuse of the girl. On one occasion she was raped by 11 men, according to her mother. Several of them were family acquaintances.
One of the suspects rents a plot of land to her family, where they grow vegetables, the mother said. The girl told her he threatened to kick the family off the land if she said anything. Others threatened to kill her.
Police deputy spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen said on Monday that a team had been assigned to investigate the case. Four new suspects had been identified, he said.
The investigation was continuing.