BURI RAM: An 84-year-old woman allegedly raped by an 89-year-old neighbour at her house in Nang Rong district three months ago has died of a blood infection.
The elderly woman (whose name has been withheld) died from a blood infection on Monday.
Her relatives filed a complaint with police on Nov 2, accusing a neighbour, 89, of raping her.
A daughter identified as Nid said she and her mother lived in different houses in the same compound in Nang Rong district. She went to her mother’s house every day to take care of her.
On Nov 2, she went into the house and was shocked to see their elderly neighbour sitting astride her mother on the bed. She shouted and the man hurriedly left the house.
She took her mother to Nang Rong Hospital for an examination. A doctor said there were signs she had been violated with a hard object in her vagina.
After returning home, her mother had fallen ill and often looked toward the door of her house with tears rolling down her face, the daughter said. On Feb 4, she died from a blood infection that relatives believed stemmed from the sexual violation.
The neighbour was earlier summonsed for police for interrogation. He denied raping the woman. Police released him without bail due to his advanced age.
Relatives have since followed up the case at the Nang Rong public prosecutors' office .
Prosecutor Sakda Khlairomsai said on Tuesday that police investigators had questioned witnesses and gathered circumstantial evidence against the alleged rapist. There were grounds for a case, he said.
