Teacher who broke back trying to escape rapist

[Nereus]

Have not seen this mentioned in any Thai news, but I may have missed it.
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Teacher who broke back trying to escape rapist 'paralysed from waist down'

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/325 ... own/#page1

A New York teacher who broke her back when she plummeted down a cliff trying to escape a sexual predator is partially paralysed from the waist down, a relative said.

Hannah Gavios is currently undergoing treatment for a severe spinal injury at Bangkok Hospital in Phuket after she fell 45 metres near the resort town of Krabi.

A relative of Ms Gavios told the New York Post that the young woman is partially paralysed from the waist down, but said it is unclear if the damage is permanent.

Local media are reporting Ms Gavios's alleged attacker, Apai Ruengvorn, 28, continued to molest her even when she was laying injured on the ground after the fall.

Ms Gavios, who has been teaching English in Vietnam, said she became lost on Railay Beach on September 1 after heading into a local shop seeking directions.

The 23-year-old said she was told one of the staff members would help show her the way to her accommodation.

Arriving in the town just 16 hours earlier, Ms Gavios said she started to feel uneasy about the man as he led her up a secluded mountain in the dark.

"I didn't get the best feeling about him but I was tired and wanted to get home," she said.
"While we were walking he grabbed me and was holding me down and trying to take off my clothes."

Ms Gavios said she fought back against the man, punching him and biting his ear before he agreed to leave her alone. But when she turned to run back to the beach, the young woman blindly ran off the edge of a cliff into the darkness.

"Before I knew it I was in mid air falling off a cliff. I was honestly thinking I wouldn't survive," she said.
"I was screaming in pain. It was the most painful thing ever ... I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldn't move anything."
Ms Gavios said as she lay on the ground unable to move, that's when her attacker struck.

Hopeful the man would call for help, he instead scrambled on top of her and sexually molested her.
"He didn't rape me - but he did everything else. I really thought I was going to die," she said.

Ms Gavios was then left to spend the night cold and alone in the bushland before help arrived the following day.

According to Phuket media, the man who led police to Ms Gavios has been charged over the sex attack and was taken to a cell at Krabi Provincial Court, where he is facing up to 10 years in jail.
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Erm, not sure about what did happen here. Look at some of the photos.

[HHTel]

This broke about 4 days ago in the Bangkok Post.
I believe they have the guy in custody. Hope he's hung by his balls.

[HHTel]

Looks like they're trying to get him to court quickly.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/police-mov ... 8bcDDdd.97

[kendo]

Poor girl is lucky to be alive after this horrific ordeal. No question of his guilt they should hand him out the death penalty. So many high profile attacks on westerners they need to send out a strong message that if you behave like a vile animal you will pay a harsh price and be treated like one.

[hhfarang]

The family of an American backpacker who was sexually assaulted after she fell 150ft down a cliff in Thailand have hit out at her attacker’s five-year jail sentence.

Hannah Gavios, 23, broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong, 28, subjected her to a 10-hour ordeal on September 1.

She was rescued the next morning but still has no feeling in her ankles, feet and backside, and is having to learn to walk again.

Ruangwong was originally sentenced to 10 years in prison but that has been halved after he pleaded guilty to obscene behavior and causing serious injury.

Hannah’s mother Gwen, who is trying to raise money for her daughter’s medical treatment, said: “I am dismayed that it is automatically cut down to five years because of a guilty plea.“



https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-bac ... 44024.html

[Vital Spark]

It's a totally horrific accident and ordeal for any young lady to go through, but did this really happen?

‘I was in the woods in the bushes with wild snakes crawling on me while he was still continuing to harass me. He got on top of me. He didn’t rape me but he did everything else.’

This was the report from Metro. Snakes would not be crawling over her body while she was being harassed - they just wouldn't be there. Either the Metro is trying to sensationalise the story, or she is telling a little porky. If it's the latter, then I start doubting other parts of the story.

VS

[Nereus]

Snakes would not be crawling over her body while she was being harassed

Trouser snakes VS, trouser snakes.

[RCer]

In the US a guilty plea would get him on the street with time served.

[Khundon1975]

It's a totally horrific accident and ordeal for any young lady to go through, but did this really happen?

‘I was in the woods in the bushes with wild snakes crawling on me while he was still continuing to harass me. He got on top of me. He didn’t rape me but he did everything else.’

This was the report from Metro. Snakes would not be crawling over her body while she was being harassed - they just wouldn't be there. Either the Metro is trying to sensationalise the story, or she is telling a little porky. If it's the latter, then I start doubting other parts of the story.

VS

I have to agree VS, something not right about this report.

Why all the posed pictures, surely not required when reporting a rape case!

I'm not saying she was not raped, just that the press report leaves much to be desired IMHO.
Still, the guy pleaded guilty, but 5 years is nowhere near enough, if what he put her through is true.

[caller]

Why all the posed pictures, surely not required when reporting a rape case!

I'm not saying she was not raped, just that the press report leaves much to be desired IMHO.
Still, the guy pleaded guilty, but 5 years is nowhere near enough, if what he put her through is true.

She wasn't raped, it's in the report. She was sexually assaulted and as the offence was admitted, he got a lenient sentence.

No disrespect, but how can anyone doubt this happened?

[Khundon1975]

I think Caller you have attributed a post to VS, when, in fact, I wrote it.

True, she wasn't raped, but he put her through an horrific sexual assault. Just as bad, IMHO.
I was questioning the need for the Aussie press including a series of posed pictures, in what should have been
a serious piece of reporting.

Her back injuries were caused by her running away from the perpetrator in the dark and falling over a cliff in the process and the sexual assault took place after she fell over the cliff.

No disrespect to you, but I don't think anyone (including me) is saying this assault did not happen, I am questioning the way it was reported by the press.

I say again, why did she allow those pictures to be printed alongside the story?
Usually, we see pictures of the victim in hospital, or recovering from the injuries, but in this case, only two pictures of her rescue and the rest are what look like holiday snaps!

Anyway, I wish her a speedy recovery.