Stepfather Beats 1-Year-Old Boy to Death, Then Uses Fish Shocker for 'Rescue'

A shocking child abuse tragedy has occurred in Thailand. A stepfather has confessed to abusing his one-year-old stepson to death, and when the boy fell unconscious, he even used a fish shocker to electrocute the boy, attempting to 'revive' him.

According to reports from Thai media, this tragedy happened on April 6 in Ratchaburi province. The boy, referred to as Khai, died under suspicious circumstances. The local Khao Din Police Station later arrested the 30-year-old mother Saowarot and 38-year-old stepfather Surasak to assist in the investigation.

According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was severe brain injury resulting from a heavy blow. In addition, medical personnel found multiple wounds, bruises, and burn marks on the boy's back and buttocks. This further led the police to suspect that the boy had suffered severe abuse before his death.

Police stated that during an interrogation on April 9, Surasak confessed to killing the boy. He admitted that over the past two months, he had been abusing his stepson—not only beating him, but also burning his body with cigarettes.

Surasak revealed that on the day of the incident, Khai's continuous crying made him extremely angry, so he struck the boy's head violently until he lost consciousness. He then used a fish shocker to electrocute the boy, wrongly believing this would restore the child’s consciousness. However, the boy subsequently bled from his mouth and nose, ultimately dying in the hospital.

The boy’s biological mother Saowarot also admitted to witnessing her husband's prior acts of violence and was present on the day their child died. She claims to have tried to stop her husband but was unsuccessful.

After the incident, Saowarot refused to go to the hospital to claim her son's body or to handle funeral arrangements. The boy's grandmother ultimately claimed the body instead.

According to reports, Saowarot has a history of drug use, and during police questioning, she admitted that she was still under the influence of drugs at the time.

Currently, Thai police have charged both Surasak and Saowarot with intentional homicide under Article 288 of the Thai Criminal Code; the charge carries a maximum penalty of death, life imprisonment, or 15 to 20 years in prison. In addition, Saowarot also faces separate charges related to drug use.

Local media also report that after the case came to light, there was widespread public outrage. People living near the couple’s residence gathered outside the police station, attempting to exact 'vigilante justice' against the two. Police then intervened urgently to maintain order, preventing the situation from escalating further.