Raped Cambodian Woman Undergoes Childbirth Trauma

Published : October 13, 2012

The Pattaya Daily News

Police and rescue workers were called to assist a frightened Cambodian woman who was about to give birth in public. The woman was an illegal immigrant worker who apparently was raped until she got pregnant. She had been hiding out in a temple until it was time to give birth.

SATTAHIP – October 12, 2012 [PDN]: at 2 a.m., a report of a woman about to give birth next to a food vendor’s stall was received by Mr. Pichit Keakkuthan, the head of the rescue officers of the Sawangrojjanathammasathan Sattahip foundation. A total of 6 rescue officers rushed to the scene in the rescue car, along with the police.

Waiting for the officers was the food vendor, Mrs. Atinuch Damkham, age 35, the owner of Racha fried shell shop, Bang Kaew, Petchaburi. She sells fried shells in the yearly temple fair of Wat Luang Phor Ee, Moo 1 Tambon Sattahip, Amphur Sattahip, Chonburi province.

Mrs. Atinuch told officers that there was a woman about to give birth in her shop, and wanted the officers to take her to the hospital urgently. At the scene, there were many people standing around to look curiously at the Cambodian woman, identified as Ms. Pim, age 26.

Ms. Pim was an illegal foreign immigrant who had entered the country to work. She was nine months pregnant and had complained of stomach pains. Rescuers noted she was ready to give birth with a tired face.

 

However, when Ms. Pim saw the police, she was startled and tried to run away, so the officers had to control her to stay still, in order for her not to endanger her baby with any sudden impact. But Ms. Pim was afraid to be arrested, so she didn’t consent to get on the rescue car with the officer and tried to give birth right at that location.

So the police consented to retreat, and as time passed, the rescue officers negotiated with Ms. Pim for more than an hour. They reassured the frightened woman that if she went to give birth at the hospital, the police would not arrest both mother and baby. This made Ms. Pim consent to get on the car to give birth at the emergency room of Queen Sirikit hospital.

During questioning, Mrs. Atinuch told police that after she had closed her shop, she lay down in a tent to guard her property, along with her husband and daughter. Then Ms. Pim had crept into her shop, and in a frightened voice asked for assistance by telling her that she felt pains in her belly and was about to give birth, so Ms. Pim asked if she could help bring her to the hospital. Mrs. Atinuch felt pity for her, and was afraid that the mother and baby will be in danger, so she notified the rescue officers to bring her to hospital.

She also told police that if Ms. Pim has no relatives, she will aid to support both mother and baby. She will help find a place for Ms. Pim to live, and will also hire her to be the shop’s employee, and will take her to get a legal work permit for foreigners.

A reporter then talked to residents in the area about the young mother. They said that the Cambodian woman had gotten pregnant, and was staying in the temple pavilion for a long time, until she felt the stomach pains and was about to give birth.

As for the father of the child, the Cambodian woman indicated that she didn’t have a husband, and she didn’t consent to give any information because she was still scared and frightened. Police assumed that the young woman was bullied because she was an illegal foreign worker, so she likely had been raped until she got pregnant.