UPDATE
A police investigation into the three women and two children held captive in a Bangkok condominium by a transwoman and her accomplice revealed they were brainwashed. More victims came forward after the story broke and filed complaints with the police against the suspects.
The Commander of the Metro Police Detective Department, Teeradate Thamsutee, revealed more details about the case to the media yesterday. Teeradate reported that all five victims were being treated for their injuries in hospital. One of the women is in a particularly bad way physically, suffering from serious burns after being scalded with hot water by one of their captives.
Teeradate reported that another 15 victims came forward and filed complaints with the police on Monday, October 17. Teeradate urged all victims cheated by the transwoman, 39 year old Haru Hawangsiri, to file a complaint and provide more information to the police.
A 50 year old female victim, Charoen Angsiimapong, revealed to the media that Haru lured her into buying a plot of land on Khao San Road four years ago. She transferred more than one million baht to Haru who disappeared soon after she received the cash.
Teeradate discovered an altar for worship in the transwoman’s condominium. A drawing of a talisman that Haru crafted to look like Ganesha hung above the altar while books on the occult were also found in the condo.
According to Thairath, each victim was brainwashed to believe in the cult that Haru created.
Their names were changed to the names of lucky stones and gems in line with Haru’s cult. The two children held hostage, Ya and Che, were forced to call Haru, mother, and their biological mother Mrs Pairin.
Even though they were physically and mentally tortured by Haru the victims insisted that everything was their fault and not their captives, Haru, or the 20 year old Triphetcharat Noppachon.
Haru confessed to the police that she convinced her victims to believe in the cult, but the details of how she did it haven’t been revealed. She also admitted that she isn’t a half-Korean, or half-Japanese.
Police added they were going to consult with psychologists to help in the investigation to learn more about Haru’s psychological power over her victims.
Khaosod reported that the police are considering charging Haru and Triphetcharat with human trafficking and fraud.
The two suspects are imprisoned at Taling Chan Criminal Court while police continue their investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY: Police rescue 3 women & 2 kids held captive for 3 years in a Bangkok condo
Police rescued three women and two children from a condominium in Bangkok after being held captive for three years by their unscrupulous bosses. The two suspects were arrested yesterday.
Police raided the luxury condominium on Arun Amarin Road in the Bang Phlat district of Bangkok and rescued the five victims being held by a transwoman and her employee after being notified by a victim’s relative.
The victims were reported to be 46 year old Pairin, 34 year old Ploy, 48 year old Khaimook, 10 year old Ya, and 6 year old Chay. The two children were Pairin’s son and daughter.
The victims were forced to get their hair cropped short and the boy was forced to dress like a girl. Pairin and Khaimook revealed they were scaled by their employers regularly and revealed hot water burns on their bodies. The two children also had several wounds and bruises on their faces and eyes.
Pairin, Ploy, and Khaimook informed the police that they were former nurses at a well-known hospital in Bangkok but quit to work for the transwoman, 39 year old Haru Hawangsiri, aka Park Seohyun, in a collagen supplementary business.
Haru told the women she was a half-Japanese, half-Korean investor, could speak six languages and formerly worked for the US Embassy. Convinced by her seeming authenticity, they resigned from the hospital and invested more than five million baht into her business.
Soon after the women began working for Haru, she hit them with a 140 million baht fine. The transwoman said they made clients angry and they wanted their money back. Unable to pay, Haru locked the women and children in a room and forced them to work off the debt.
The victims said Haru’s employee, 20 year old man Triphetcharat Noppachon, controlled and did most of the punishment.
Pairin added that Triphetcharat poured boiling water over them and that she was forced to hit her children. If she refused to do so the young man would pour hot water over her children.
Khaosod reported yesterday that Haru and Triphetcharat were arrested and initially charged with two sections of criminal law.
Firstly, they were charged under Section 259 of the Criminal Law related to an offence against life and body: causing injury to the body or mind of others. They will be punished by imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 4,000 baht, or both.
Secondly, they were charged under Section 309 of the Criminal Law related to an offence against liberty and reputation: extorting another person to do or not to do any act, putting the fear of injury to life, body, liberty, reputation or property to make another person suffer, or committing violence to force another person to do or not to do any act. They will face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to 6,000 baht, or both.
Thairath reported that Haru has form for this type of behaviour. In the past, the transwoman was charged with attacking former patients and fraud but escaped court prosecution because she changed names nine times to hide her real identity.
The report did not confirm whether Haru was half-Japanese or half-Korean.
Police reported that the two suspects are still under questioning to discover their intention and motive to imprison and abuse the victims.
The victims were sent to a Police General Hospital for a health check and treatment.