Teenage rape victim hangs herself

A ninth-grader was found hanging at her home in Lampang's Sop Prab district, a few days after a teacher, who was arrested in Pathum Thani for allegedly raping her over the past five years, hanged himself last Saturday.

The 15-year-old girl's mother said her daughter appeared distraught after Phayonsak Udom was arrested last Friday. "I keep her under close watch and she hanged herself in the 15 minutes I spent outside," she added.

Phayonsak, 58, killed himself in his jail cell in Lampang after he was recaptured by Pathum Thani police. He had escaped after being granted bail by the Lampang Court, where he was standing trial against rape charges.

According to police, Phayonsak had allegedly been raping the girl since she was nine and used recordings of the act to continue forcing himself on her.

The provincial public health office had counsellors visit the girl at home and instructed her mother to keep a close eye on the teenager, as she appeared tense when the crime was uncovered last month. After he was granted bail, Phayonsak fled with the girl on August 21 and was arrested in Pathum Thani last week.