CityNews – 7th February, 2019. The social justice Facebook group, Red Skull, which regularly posts exposes of victims of crime, posted a 46 second video clip featuring a female student from ‘a school in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai, getting beaten, kicked repeatedly in the face, has her hair pulled, pinched and made to wai at her aggressor’s feet.
It transpires that the video was filmed in September of last year. The victim had arrived home dishevelled and bruised but told her parents it was nothing. The video only emerged earlier this week when her parents saw the video clip and made it public.
Police have since stepped in, but say that they can only investigate the matter of the parents of the victim make a formal complaint. It has since emerged that the aggressor is now considering filing charges against the parents of the victim for computer crimes act, a felony charge which has the punishment of up to five years in jail.
Police say that both sides may file charges and they will follow the rule of law should that occur.
The clip is going viral with nearly 1,700 shares since it was loaded yesterday.
Though the reason for the abuse is as yet unclear, background commentary by bystanders makes it appear as though it could be a part of a hazing ritual.
Update: All students in the video clip and their parents from both sides have reportedly met and found common ground. The school revealed that the students were at odds leading to the aggressive fight as appeared on the video clip.
Citylife has covered the brutality of Thailand’s student hazing a few times, notably in this 2013 article: Hazed or Abused? The timely death of SOTUS in Thailand and this 2016 article: A Brave New SOTUS: Seniority: Order: Tradition: Unity: Spirit.