Police charge sister, relative in death of Kanchanaburi girl

Police in Kanchanaburi province has revealed a shocking breakthrough in the investigation into the death of a seven-year-old girl who went missing for three days, saying the suspects are her 13-year-old sister and a 17-year-old male relative.

Provincial police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Phisit Tanprasert said yesterday that evidence gathered from witness statements, physical evidence and forensic examinations have identified the suspects, whose identities have been withheld because they are juveniles.

Both suspects are now in the juvenile justice process.

Phisit said that the incident stemmed from a dispute inside the family home.

During questioning, the suspects said the victim and her sister had argued over the use of a mobile phone and had quarrelled frequently in the past.

During the argument in question, the sister allegedly lost control and used her hands to cover the victim's mouth and nose, causing her to suffocate.

She then sought help from the male suspect, who is the younger brother of the girl's mother, to conceal and dispose of the body in a rubber plantation in Ban Thi Krong, Moo 4, Prang Phle sub-district, Sangkhla Buri district.

Phisit said the male suspect told investigators that he was present at the scene but denied involvement in the girl's death.

Forensic evidence includes shoes discarded near the scene and signs of attempts to destroy evidence, including materials allegedly used to conceal the body and a sack that was burned near the crime scene.

Police have initially charged the sister with murder, while the male suspect has been charged with concealing and disposing of a body.

One resident, speaking through tears, said she is shocked and finds it difficult to believe that the people responsible could be the victim's own sister and uncle. “All this time, we saw them taking good care of her. I still don't want to believe that it is true,” she said.

Phisit said that, because the suspects are juveniles, police must strictly follow procedures under the Juvenile and Family Court Act.

Investigators are working alongside a multidisciplinary team, including psychologists, prosecutors, lawyers and individuals requested by the juveniles, while questioning continues before the case is forwarded to the Juvenile Court.

Police have asked the media and the public not to disclose photographs, names or any identifying information relating to the victim, the suspects or their family members, in accordance with the law.

Asked whether the girl had informed her mother of the incident, Phisit said the mother had no prior knowledge of what had happened and was devastated upon learning the details.

The case began when the girl disappeared from her home on May 30. Her body was subsequently discovered in a rubber plantation two days later.