Thai Police Get Arrest Warrant for Mom over Girl’s Sex Work in Japan

Bangkok, Nov. 24 (Jiji Press)–Thai police said Monday that they have obtained an arrest warrant for the mother who left a 12-year-old Thai girl working illegally at a massage parlor in Tokyo on charges of human trafficking. The mother is currently detained in Taiwan for involvement in prostitution. A senior Thai police official said that the mother will likely be transferred to Japan within one or two months. Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department has already obtained an arrest warrant for the mother on suspicion of violating the child welfare law. Thai police said they are continuing to investigate whether anyone else other than the mother was involved in the incident. According to the MPD, the girl came to Japan with her mother in late June and was taken to a massage parlor. The mother disappeared the next day, but the girl was forced to provide sexual services to customers. A Thai support group that interviewed the girl’s relatives stated that the mother, now 29, lost her husband about seven years ago, and has supported the family since then as a massage therapist. Invited by an acquaintance, the mother visited Japan around 2022 and brought the daughter to Japan to care for her younger brother. However, lacking the money to buy a ticket for the daughter to return to Thailand, the mother left her at the massage parlor of the acquaintance. An aunt of the girl told reporters at the Thai police headquarters on Monday that she is glad to hear that her niece is safe, adding that she hopes the niece will come back to their family. Her grandmother said she wants to see her grandchild soon. The incident came to light in September when the girl sought help from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]