Pornthip carries out DNA tests
The two teachers accused of raping five primary students yesterday met Pornthip Rojan-asunand to ask her to conduct DNA tests on them and to request that a team of forensic experts, psychiatrists and social workers join the investigation.
Lorn Sorakanit, 58, and Pimol Chunsri, 48, believe that only a team sent by Pornthip, director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, would conduct an impartial probe.The pair's action follows the Criminal Court's rejection of their request on Wednesday that Pornthip rather than forensic police be tasked with the tests, as her judgement would be fair. The teachers from Prach-anukul School in Bangkok's Sai Mai district were arrested last week on suspicion of the rapes of five eight-year-old girls. Pornthip said the Central Institute of Forensic Science had tested the teachers so they could feel confident the findings of the forensic police, which could be compared with the results of their tests if necessary. She said that if Lorn and Pimol wanted to prove their innocence, they should let the police investigation proceed without trying to influence its course. In response to the request by the teachers for a team from the institute to join the investigation, Pornthip said the institute had no authority to get involved in the case. The Justice Ministry previously proposed that police let the Child Protection Foundation take part as a neutral entity, but the suggestion was rejected. Paveena Hongsakul, the president of the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children, took the alleged victims to file their complaints with Pol Maj-General Khamronwit Thoop-krajang, commander of the Division for Suppression of Crimes against Children and Women. After the DNA tests supervised by Pornthip, Lorn said he wanted to prove his innocence because his family was living in fear and had had to move out of his home to live with a friend. Lorn plans to petition the National police commander today, asking for a new investigating team. A police source said yesterday that medical tests on the first student to voice charges had found no semen. A source from the school said there were suspicions about the veracity of the girl's testimony. The girl told police that on July 6 Lorn had raped her before giving her Bt100. But the school had evidence that on that day, she had confessed to her teacher that she stole the money from her mother. Also, on July 21 - the day the girl claimed Pimol raped her - the school had held an event and there were witnesses who could testify that Pimol had been involved in it for its duration. Officials from the Justice Ministry's Right and Liberties Protection department and representatives of the Education Ministry met Paveena yesterday to discuss how best to help the girls, who are being looked after by her foundation.
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