September 09, (THEWILL) – A missing one-year-old girl, identified as Pornsiri Wongsilarung and also known by her nickname Gina, has been found alive in a cave where an alleged kidnapper took her to sacrifice her to forest spirits.
The 44-year-old Siew reportedly abducted Pornsiri from outside the family home in a remote village in Chiang Mai province of Thailand on Sunday afternoon September 5.
At the time of disappearance of the minor who was playing in front of their house, her mother Malee Pasee, 23 was cooking in the kitchen and her father Suriya Wongsilaruang, 43, was taking rubbish to a tip around two miles from their home.
She was discovered missing after her mother finished cooking but did not hear a response. Neighbours said they last saw the Pornsiri walking on the road around 10 metres away from home.
More than 200 police officers, rescue workers and volunteers searched through nearby homes and woodland for the missing girl.
Sniffer dogs, aerial search drones and a diving team were also looking for Gina in various places where she could have strayed.
After the suspect who is a Myammar national and a friend of the girl’s father was arrested on Monday September 6, he allegedly admitted kidnapping the youngster and leaving her in a cave around two miles from the family home.
It was also learnt that when questioned on Tuesday September 7, Siew reportedly refused to co-operate with officers before breaking down after being grilled throughout the night.
Pornsiri was finally rescued from a wooden hut next to the water-logged cave on Wednesday afternoon September 8. She was wearing only a shirt, was covered in insect bites and appeared exhausted but was standing on her own and laughing with the rescue teams. Medics then rushed her to the hospital for a test.
Siew, who spoke to journalists, said forest spirits told him to sacrifice a child to the ghost. He said: “The forest spirits were telling me to sacrifice a child to the ghost, so I carried Gina and left her in front of the cave. I did not kill her.”
The girl’s mother, who broke down in tears when her daughter was found, said: “I have been praying all day and night for my baby to come home safely. I am so happy she is alive. I would have given my own life to see her come home safely.
“I am so grateful to all the people who have helped to find her. She will be safe again with us. I’ll never let her go again.”
Police Major General Pichet Chiranantasin said: “We have been questioning the Burmese man throughout the night. The suspect looked confused and might have been using drugs.
“He confessed to abducting the girl and leaving her at the cave. When he told us this we were able to make him tell us the location and we could find the girl.
“We need to question the suspect more about the motive if anybody else was involved and to check if he did anything to the girl. We will also wait for medical reports on her condition.”
Siew has since been remanded in custody while officers continue questioning him on charges of kidnapping a child.
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