Twenty-four-year-old Bee* has been living with a verbally abusive husband for years. One day, out of desperation, she tells him she will go to the police. He threatens to kill her if she ever leaves him. He brings home a gun to show that he means business.
A concerned friend takes her to the police station to file a complaint against her husband. The on-duty sergeant shows little interest in the specifics of her case. As he records her lengthy account, he mentions that, without any physical evidence of abuse, and with it being a family affair, outside intervention is unlikely to bear much fruit.
She returns home hoping that law enforcement will, at least, have a word with her husband. It is unclear if they ever do. Less than a month later, Bee is found dead from a bullet wound. Her husband is nowhere to be found.
This harrowing tale is one of many cases of verbal domestic abuse leading to murder. Stats from agencies campaigning against domestic violence report that, since the beginning of this year, cases of domestic violence leading to murder in Thailand increased by 65% and physical abuse by 22%.
Violence against women is a global phenomenon. Everywhere we look, we find cases of women being prevented from accessing justice, fostering a culture of misogyny and bias that further encourages and propagates even more violence, trapping millions in a vicious circle.
In an effort to address this pressing social issue, the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) recently held a launch event for the publication of two research papers: Towards Gender-Responsive Criminal Justice: Good Practices From Southeast Asia In Responding To Violence Against Women and Women As Justice Makers: Perspectives From Southeast Asia.
Both papers agree that eliminating of violence against women can only be achieved through female empowerment, improved female participation in high-level policy-making, continued promotion of gender-sensitive criminal justice and other measures involving female participation at all levels.
To get a perspective on how Thai law enforcement could benefit from the research, Life spoke with female police officer Pol Lt Col Peabprom Mekhiyanont, police inspector at the Investigation and Inquiry Affairs Department, who attended the launch of TIJ's gender-responsive justice systems research.
She said the reports were a step in the right direction when it comes to gender responsive justice, but cautioned that implementation would take time and patience.
"Cases of psychological and emotional domestic abuse are often not given priority because, for one, we don't have the required mechanism to prosecute the perpetrators, and two, victims often hesitate to report abuse to law enforcement for fear of retribution," she said.
According to Lt Col Peabprom, the findings of the TIJ reports will only bear fruit when the Thai police force, public prosecution office and the courts of justice are all on board. Otherwise, we will see no tangible improvement for female victims.
"I would suggest that these findings be brought to the attention of policy-makers within the aforementioned agencies," she continued. "What often happens is that when such findings are made public, the chief assigns his right-hand man to represent him at the launch event. Thereafter, no real attempt is made to read the report from cover to cover, let alone implement it. So the best case scenario would be to have the policy-makers on board from the beginning. We have to generate a buzz within the organisations involved so these new guidelines can go on to become rules and regulations.
"[The police force] still has a long way to go when it comes to gender equality. It is pivotal for us to incorporate the TIJ's findings into the curriculum at cadet school. The male student body is still pretty lukewarm when it comes to accepting the need for change. What they need are good role models, and my hope is that when this happens it will become a catalyst for change," she said.
According to Lt Col Peabprom, violence against women in Thailand is on the rise annually. Statistics from a collaborative report conducted by the Thailand Institute of Justice and University of Cambridge indicate that a woman is raped every 15 minutes -- that's 30,000 a year. However, only around 4,000 cases are actually reported and a mere 2,400 cases see the perpetrators incarcerated.
"Time and again we see gender responsive justice play a role in the outcome of cases involving domestic violence and rape. Women are more often than not blamed. The report, almost always written by a male, suggests the woman was asking for it. Details, such as the way she dressed and the alcohol levels in her blood, could all go against her in court.
"We live in a male-dominated society. If we want to see change, we need to focus our attention on the youth. Instill in them a value system that promotes gender equality, and I am confident that the rest will follow. Gender based violence can then be nipped at the bud."
Peabprom has been in law enforcement for 12 years and has investigated many cases of rape and domestic abuse. She recently launched the "Sis Bot" chatbot which provides information to survivors 24 hours a day through Facebook Messenger, accessible through a mobile device or computer.
A woman facing domestic violence can, for example, message the Sis Bot and receive an immediate response, with information on how to report the incident to police, how to preserve evidence and what support services or compensation they are entitled to by law.
"The Sis Bot isn't just for survivors but also police cadets, as a learning tool and a step-by-step guide on what advice they should be giving survivors of gender-based violence," said Lt Col Peabprom.
*not her real name
