Police in Songkhla Province, southern Thailand, are investigating the abbot of a famous temple in Hatyai district, who is alleged to have repeatedly sexually assaulted four novice monks, each only 13 to 14 years old, since the beginning of this year.
According to Thai media Thaiger, Songkhla Police Chief Thirasak personally ordered on the 26th for local police to summon and investigate the abbot involved in the case.
It is reported that the guardians of the four novice monks have officially filed a complaint with the Thunglung police. The formal accusation states that the abbot repeatedly forced the novices to engage in sexual acts with him in his monastery office both during the day and at night. Facing the accusations, the abbot denied the charges during preliminary questioning.
One of the parents told the media that, due to extreme fear, their child secretly escaped from the temple and returned home on the 24th, thus exposing the incident. The parent said that after the incident came to light, a relative of the abbot proactively contacted them but neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. The families of the victims are determined, stating they refuse any private settlement and will pursue the case according to law.
According to reports, investigators also uncovered another lead during the investigation: an older novice monk at the temple had allegedly committed similar sexual assaults against the younger novices.
The involved temple is located in Ban Phong Sub-district, Hatyai district. The temple is currently deserted, with all monks and novices having left. For safety, the remaining six novices who were not victimized have been temporarily relocated to other temples during the investigation. The abbot's phone is currently switched off and he is out of contact.
Police state that the case is still under thorough investigation and formal charges have yet to be filed.