New call for Thai police torture probe

A Thai court convicted Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun on Thursday of the murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on the holiday island of Koh Tao.

Throughout the trial the defence disputed the forensic evidence and accused the police of torturing their clients into signing confessions, which they later retracted.

Earlier today the Koh Samui Provincial court found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun (also known as Wai Phyo) – both Burmese nationals – guilty of the murder of Ms Witheridge and Mr Miller in September 2014, sentencing them both to death.

The judgement and sentencing of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were delivered on Thursday, although their lawyers said they would appeal after they retracted their initial confessions on the grounds police had tortured them.

Results from the investigation would appear to show that semen of both men was found inside the British Witheridge, the court said in its ruling the evidence from the crime scene and the witnesses “confirmed without any doubt” what Htun and Lin had done. Defence lawyers had asked to retest DNA samples but authorities issued conflicting statements on DNA evidence and, at one point, said that it had been used up. Police said the lady was raped and bludgeoned to death where as the man suffered blows to his head.

Miss Witheridge, from Hemsby, Norfolk, had been raped before she was killed while Mr Miller, from Jersey, had been hit over the head before drowning in the sea.

After meeting with the officers, Witheridge’s family said they were “confident in the work that has been carried out into these atrocious crimes, and want to remind both press and public that they do not have the full facts to report and make comment on at this stage”.

Some activists have argued that the defendants were scapegoats and that the case highlights Thailand’s ill treatment of migrant workers.

But he added that he and his team disagree with the verdict, and will adhere to the rule of law in appealing the case.

The men have been sentenced to death.

Champa Patel called for an independent investigation that is not conducted under the police force, adding that the “Thai police force has a long and disturbing track record of using torture and other forms of ill-treatment to extract “confessions”.

Mr Miller’s family flew to Thailand for the verdict.

Andy Hall, an global affairs adviser with the Migrant Worker Rights Network, which has represented the defendants, said they planned to appeal against the court’s decision.

A statement from Witheridge’s family that was released after the verdict did not mention whether they thought the convictions were safe.