Woman Claims She Had Abbots Child
A woman caught up in a huge scandal surrounding Thai monks has said she bore the child of a former abbot, reports the Daily Star. Wilawan Emsawat is alleged to have had sex with numerous monks and blackmailed them by threatening to release intimate pictures and videos.
The scandal first broke out when the abbot of Bangkok's Wat Tri Thotsathep monastery suddenly left the monkhood and went missing. The Thai police subsequently accused him of fleeing in fear of being blackmailed by Emsawat. She has recently alleged that she gave birth to his child.
The authorities dealing with the case allegedly found "tens of thousands of photos" on Emsawat's mobile, in addition to some sexually explicit messages. The police claim these items were employed to extort considerable amounts of money from monks in various temples.
The Daily Star said that police discovered more than 80,000 photos and videos of sexual activity between Emsawat and several monks. The police estimate that she bribed more than 385 million baht (some $11.9 million) in the past three years, but much of that money is thought to have been used on gambling sites.
At least nine monks have been disrobed due to the scandal. According to Daily Star, they are:
It is reported that three more monks are also implicated in the scandal, although their names have not been made public.
Emsawat was apprehended from her home in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok. She has been charged with a number of serious offenses, including money laundering, extortion, and possession of plundered property.
She has also been accused by the police of facilitating abuse of power among monks, but more information on that charge has not yet come out.
