Former Olympic boxing champion Somluck Kamsing could be summonsed as early as Thursday to answer a charge relating to a 17-year-old girl’s allegation he sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in Khon Kaen early on Sunday morning, police said.
What actual charge he would face was not clear, ranging from molestation to child abduction, police said.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Wednesday that Mr Somluck was considered as having lured the girl to molestation, in violation of Section 284 of the Criminal Code. The offence carries a prison term of 1-10 years and/or fine of 20,000-200,000 baht.
“The law protects minors. No matter whether the young person was willing or not, it was wrong,” Pol Gen Surachate said.
The girl has accused the 50-year-old boxing trainer of sexual assault. They went to his hotel room after meeting at a pub in the northeastern province on Saturday night. Mr Somluck has explained that he was unaware of the girl’s real age when they left the pub, and desisted as soon as he learned she was only 17.
Pol Gen Surachate said police would focus on evidence from security camera recordings.
The deputy national police chief said molestation was clear in the case. While the girl said she was sexually assaulted, there was no sexual intercourse. Forensics had collected bodily fluid from the hotel room. It was being tested. Results would be known in two weeks.
The mother of the girl met Pol Gen Surachate at the Police Club on Wednesday and denied that the girl or the family had any intention of blackmailing Mr Somluck. She blamed herself for letting her daughter visit an entertainment place at night.
People under 20 years are legally banned from such establishments.
Pol Col Yossawaj Kaewsuebthanyanij, chief of Muang Khon Kaen station, said on Wednesday that Mr Somluck might be initially charged with child abduction.
The 17-year-old, whose name was withheld, is from Nong Kung Si district of Kalasin province. She filed a police complaint on Sunday.
She said she met 50-year-old Somluck at a pub in Muang district, Khon Kaen province, on Saturday night and went back to the boxer’s hotel room about 3.30am on Sunday. There, she alleged, Mr Somluck sexually assaulted her.
Mr Somluck said earlier that while in the pub he was befriended by the girl, who asked for a selfie photograph with him. Following some intimacy, he took her to the hotel.
Mr Somluck said they had both taken off their clothes. Before going further, he had asked how old she was. When the girl replied she was 17, he stopped making advances and went to asleep.
Mr Somluck said he did not go any further than that and was certain of his innocence.
Mr Somluck was a Muay Thai fighter before turning to boxing. He earned a bronze medal at the 1989 King’s Cup and a gold medal at the 1995 event.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, he won a gold medal in the men’s featherweight division. He was the first Thai athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Somluck Kamsing (photo from the Kamsing family channel page on Facebook)