Manhunt now launched for rape suspect of an Aussie tourist

Bangkok police are now hunting for a former 32-year-old motorcycle taxi and charity worker after gaining strong evidence that he might be the suspect who raped a 21-year-old Australian tourist at an abandoned building in Bangkok last Monday.

Identified the suspect as Ake-burut Ritrakphan, 32, pressure was also mounted on his family to persuade the fugitive to turn himself in to the police immediately as his crime has greatly damaged the country’s tourism image which authorities are restoring.

Arrest warrant has been issued by the court.

Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn confirmed the Aussie tourist was raped, dismissing earlier police assumption of her rape story just because she was able to report her sexual assault fast.

The police commissioner said a physical examination by doctors has revealed traces of semen in the her birth cavity.

But the ethnicity of the source however has not been determined.

Further tests will have to be made.

The commissioner said rape is a complicated matter and depends on many criteria such as whether the victim is older than 15 years and whether there was actual consent or was the intercourse forced.

If consent was given and the victim was older than 15 years of age then it was not a crime.

But in any event the police have an initial assumption that it was rape as semen was found in her body.

Thai PBS

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