The alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old Prathom five (Grade 5) female student by a 12-year-old Prathom six (Grade 6) boy at a school in Wichian Buri district of Phetchabun province on June 21 is a wake-up call for society.
Dr Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, spokesman for the Department of Health, said the case is raising public concern about safety in schools and ways for students to learn about and protect themselves from sexual violence.
To those ends, schools must play a key role in protecting students from sexual crimes both within and outside school grounds. Dr Varoth said that if both offender and victim are students, they must undergo recovery and rehabilitation processes. The community, families, schools and medical health teams likewise must work together to deal with the problem.
