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Phuket tourist ''Giovanni'' who was stabbed at Nai Harn on Phuket in January but did not make the police commander's official list of expat victims of crime

Phuket Crime: Aussies, Russians Dominate Victims' List

Monday, February 27, 2012
PHUKET: The victims of crime as listed by Phuket police for the past three months are all Australians and Russians, with the exception of a lone Norwegian.

The list of victims is much shorter than the list of tourist and expat perpetrators, although many of the sins on that list are low-level misdemeanors.

Revealed for the first time is the name of the famous Australian footballer who was one of three Australians badly beaten at a nightclub in Patong.

He is Darren Senter, a former professional rugby league footballer who captained Sydney's Balmain Tigers from 1999 until 2004.

Mr Senter is believed to have been struck in the face with a glass and required plastic surgery back in Australia after the incident. The other men were attacked from behind, they say.

It's alleged the three Australians were ambushed by as many as 15 men at Rock City in the early hours of January 23.

Questions are still being asked at high levels as to what Patong police plan to do to make sure the attack is not repeated.

Missing from the list of victims are Derryn Ruolle and Tamara Robins, an Australian couple based in Hong Kong who say their room safe at the Manathai Resort in Surin was robbed of rings, computers and other items worth $20,000 while they ate dinner on Christmas Day.

A police report was made soon after at Cherng Talay Station. It's unclear why an alleged theft of goods said to total $20,000 has not made the list.

Phuket's honorary consuls meet with senior Phuket administrators and police at Provincial Hall in Phuket City to discuss tourist safety and security on Phuket this afternoon.

Phuket Expat Crime Victims


Rupert Wilhelmfater Australia December 6 Patong Victim of robbery
James Eley Australia December 26 Patong assault victim
Evgeny Borisov Russia January 10 Patong assault victim
Artem Dronov Russia January 18 Patong robbery victim
Steven Balzary Australia January 23 Patong assault victim
Darren Senter Australia January 23 Patong assault victim
Michael Balzary Australia January 23 Patong assault victim
Odd Arne Mathisen Norway January 26 Tungtong robbery victim
Alexsandov Mikhall Russia January 29 Patong robbery victim
Abeer Yousef Australia February 21 Patong robbery victim

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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i know at least 10 persons who was victims as well but are not on the list?

Posted by mike on February 27, 2012 08:25

Editor Comment:

Not much point saying that without names, alleged crimes and which jurisdictions, mike. Produce the evidence that what you say is true.

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I was a victim of crime but my name is not mentioned...

Posted by Nip on February 27, 2012 12:03

Editor Comment:

Have charges been laid, Nip? If not, you won't be on the list.

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Editor Comment:

Have charges been laid, Nip? If not, you won't be on the list.

And another.
" A police report was made soon after at Cherng Talay Station. It's unclear why an alleged theft of goods said to total $20,000 has not made the list. "

Do I understand that right. Unless someone is caught and charges laid against them your police report means absolutely nothing to the records.

So much for an accurate list to give to the honorary consuls this arvo.

Problem ? what problem ? Amazing Thailand.

Posted by Just Curious on February 27, 2012 13:11

Editor Comment:

The case of the alleged room safe theft may lack both an accused and an arrest. My sketchy understanding of Nip's altercation is that it would have been first reported at least 12 months ago, and probably in another jurisdiction. It's a police list, not ''your'' list. Is a victim not a victim until there is a charge? Possibly.

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(moderated)

Posted by Nip on February 27, 2012 13:59

Editor Comment:

Nip, we can't and won't report those kinds of allegations from an anonymous online source. If you have some evidence, best go the Phuket Police Commander and make your case.

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What about Monica van Rossum? She's not on the list as a robbery victim.....

Posted by Freddy2do on February 27, 2012 15:41

Editor Comment:

Probably will be in the next lot at the next meeting. It takes a few days for the paperwork to go through the system.

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I was one of the victims of one of the outrageous attacks and just to follow up one of your articles - when there is a new Foreign Minister for Australia as he has recently resigned and yet to have a new appointment - we will take this matter further.

We have already spoken to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs re this matter and have had a good hearing and have also done some radio interviews in Australia. This will not go away and we will pursue it.

We understand that Rock City is owned by foreign interests - not Thai - and stil consider that this matter will need to be taken further. We are also aware from our Thai lawyers that Darren's name leaked from an offical source - the only ones with his name, and they were trying to pin all blame on us.

We decided not to publise his name as it would be a media circus in Australia and not focus on the real issue - the blatant attack on foreigners (expats) by secutiry and other official staff in Patong, condoned by police and other officials.

The good news is that some of our wounds have healed and we would like to thank the fantastic Patong Hospital staff for all their help, which has limited the long term physical but not pyschological damage. Also to Phuketwan for the courage to continue to challenge authorites on this and related matters.

Patong, and more broadly Phuket, agencies must take action on crime or suffer the long term consequences, which will impact on the great people, in gaining less tourism.

Just to let you know, when I visited the doctor on return to Australia he also mentioned to me that a young lady had been in earlier that day and suffered drink spiking and lost all her valuables to thieves and was lucky not to be raped - co-incidence, or just lots of these things happening to Australians?!

Posted by Steve Balzary on February 27, 2012 18:58

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I would imagine that with the criteria the Phuket Police is using for their list, a lot is being omitted.

There are a lot of incidents when foreigners go to the police and are told there's little or no chance of catching the suspects.

This is mostly no fault of the police, victims can't provide enough evidence and bystanders may not want to.

Theft might be the most common crime where this happens.

In my opinion these people are still victims of a crime, regardless of if the suspects can be identified and prosecuted or not.

It would be far more interesting to know how many police reports foreign victims of crime have filed.

Posted by Steve C. on February 27, 2012 20:39

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A friend of mine saw first hand a police report filed by a woman in her 70's who mugged on her pushbike at 2pm by the nai harn lake. Police were rude to her, made her go to the police station to file a report and offered no assistance. She found it difficult to get a taxi as some thugs had just taken her purse.

CCTV showed her around the lake but there seems to be a "black spot" where it happened and nothing was recorded.

My friend reported it to another news source a few days later and the whole case was gone, even though she saw the police report.

The news source figured since the woman was leaving in Thailand they could just bin it! If you want the dates I can get them for you.

Posted by Vfaye on February 28, 2012 00:56

Editor Comment:

Now that you mention Nai Harn, I recollect the Italian man who was stabbed in the back on his first night on Phuket at Nai Harn in January . He is not on the list of victims, either. Being stabbed in the back is not enough to make you a victim on Phuket? I wonder how much cooperation the Phuket Police Commander gets in compiling the list.

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Gee Whiz I wonder why ? Maybe the farangs are the problem.

Posted by Anonymous on February 28, 2012 07:45

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Dear mr Steve Balzary you say that you have noting to do whit the start of the fight but you leave out that your frind Darren Senter started the fight by beaten one of the guard so he hit the floor and he was unconscious for a long time and if your litle friend Darren Senter cant stand up like a man for what he did sorry for you.

Posted by Anonymous on March 22, 2012 00:53


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