Thai Justice Ministry introduces new guidelines for handling foreign paedophilia suspects

The guidelines include a larger sum for bail as well as passport seizure to prevent the suspects from escaping, The Nation reported.

According to Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, the main problem was that many developing countries did not have proper laws to protect children, giving more foreigners the chance to relocate to these countries and abuse poor kids.

Since different agencies in Thailand lacked good coordination, due to different laws and regulations, foreign suspects took advantage of these loopholes as an opportunity to flee.

Some suspects even changed their names and returned to the counrtry to continue sexually assaulting children.

Mr Pirapan said the ministry had decided on the release of a handbook about the prosecution of foreign paedophilia suspects, after an adviser to the Swedish king had expressed concerns about several Swedish nationals committing child abuse in Thailand.

The adviser suggested that the abuse suspects should never be released on bail.

Now Thailand's Department of Special Investigations (DSI) is planning to add investigations involving sexual abuse of children to its authority, as it falls under the definition of human trafficking.


[Source: The Nation]