Husband caught kicking wife by citizen journalist (graphic)

Citizen journalist, ordinary person armed with mobile phone camera acting as new reporter, helps expose violence against women.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Husband kicking wife unconscious: Caught on video

Using a mobile phone to capture and document illegal or unjust acts has become more and more common recently.

Today's viral video certainly shows how so-called citizen journalists, ordinary citizens armed with a mobile phone camera acting as jorunalists or news reporters, can provide a valuable service to society and help bring a man guilty of violence against women to justice. Here is the video: 

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN EXPOSED     

A video of a middle-aged man kicking his wife unconscious then stomping her in a fit of jealousy on a pavement in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district has sparked outrage on social media.

The 45-second clip shows the couple in a heated quarrel on a roadside.

The man is seen using his right leg to kick the woman, who falls unconscious to the ground, in full view of passers-by.

The man then continues his violent attack, using his right foot to stamp on her face three times.

He grabs her by the collar and throws her body to the ground.

The video clip spread rapidly online, drawing heated criticism.

The victim, identified later as Nongluck Churat, 41, sustained face and head injuries and was admitted to Vibharam Chaiprakan Hospital’s intensive care unit in Samut Prakan, said Pol Lt Bunrit Chernchue, a duty officer at Samrong Tai police station.

He said the assault was reported about 5pm on Wednesday.

Ms Nongluck told police that she was assaulted by her husband Wut Sompakdi, 45.

The couple had been to a restaurant on Bangya Preak Road, where they had a few drinks. They later had a heated argument.

Her husband started the attack by pushing her to the ground and then kicking her on the chin, knocking her unconscious, Ms Nongluck said.

HE WAS DRUNK

Police found Mr Wut at his house in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district. He was drunk, police said.

Mr Wut confessed to having assaulted his wife, according to police.

He said they went out for a few drinks at a roadside restaurant and later quarrelled as he suspected his wife might have a lover. 

He became angry, pushed her to the ground and kicked her several times.

He then returned home, leaving her behind.

Police charged the husband with physical assault, causing injury. He was held in custody for legal action.

CITIZEN JOURNALISM

'Citizen journalism' can be defined as:

1. When non-journalists perform the same function and role as journalists, "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information"

2. "When the people formerly known as the audience" use news reporting tools to inform one another. (See Wikipedia here).

Problems can arise, however, when a non-journalist acting as journalist fails to report in a truthful way and reports things that are not true.

In fact, sometimes citizen journalists are completely incorrect.

This was the case in this week's Toyota logo on Thai temple scandal which actually turned out to be in a private graveyard, put there by a family with connections to company (see here).

Citizen journalists have been criticised for making accusations without enough evidence, sometimes acting essentially as online vigilantes or lynch mobs.

The alleged kicking of a pregnant woman after her child dinged the side of a Mercedes while opening the car door is the most recent high-profile case of citizen journalism.

Some say these accusations were made without enough evidence to support them and ruin the lives of innocent people (See yesterday's opinion piece 'The social media police are onto you' here).

http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/755432/jealous-husband-kicks-wife-unconscious-graphic

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