An abusive teacher is facing legal action after the parents of a seven-year-old boy rebuffed his apology for assaulting their son and a request to settle the matter quietly.
The 23-year-old teacher has been accused of violently striking the first-grader with a metal ruler and slapping him multiple times for eating the teacher’s marshmallow snack. The incident left the child’s face badly bruised, sparking outrage among local residents and community leaders.
The teacher and his mother earlier visited the family’s home to apologise and offer compensation – only to flee when confronted by reporters.
According to community leaders, the case came to light after a local headman and village chief visited the child’s home in tambon Na Sak of Mae Moh district. They said they found the boy with visible bruises on his face and neck. Upon questioning, the boy admitted he had eaten the teacher’s snack because he had no money to buy his own.
The victim’s mother, identified only as Da, said she refused to accept the teacher’s apology. ‘They came unannounced with a gift basket to ask forgiveness, but I told them it’s too late,’ she said.
Da said the teacher’s mother begged her to settle the matter privately and offered financial compensation, claiming her son was mentally ill.
Da recalled that on the day of the assault, she had no money to give her son for snacks.
‘He told me later that he had eaten some of the teacher’s marshmallows without asking. When I got home, I found him sitting quietly in front of the house with bruises all over his face and neck,’ she said tearfully.
‘He told me he doesn’t want to go back to school because he’s scared of being beaten again. I want this teacher transferred immediately.’
Village headman Narongdej Wong-ai and tambon chief Rat Umhong said they were alerted by a local official who was checking on why the boy was not at school. Initially, they suspected domestic abuse, but after questioning, learned the injuries were caused by the teacher.
The boy was later taken for a medical examination, which confirmed the bruises were consistent with blunt-force trauma from a hard object.
Following the discovery, the teacher reportedly called the local chief to apologise and pleaded for leniency. However, community leaders refused, saying the assault was too severe and other children could be in danger.
Other teachers at the school said the accused had a history of isolating himself and previously punished students by locking them in a room.
The village headman added that when the boy’s mother first tried to file a police report, officers refused, suggesting they feared the child might be labelled a thief.
After intervention from the village and tambon chiefs – both of whom also serve on the school’s board – the police finally accepted the complaint.
Local leaders and the boy’s family have vowed to pursue the case until justice is served. They are demanding that education authorities remove the teacher from the school and that legal action be taken against him for physically assaulting a minor.