Five boys, aged from 13 to 16, have been taken into police custody in Aranyaprathet district of Sakaeo province for allegedly killing a 47-year-old mentally disabled woman.

The victim, identified as “Buaphan”, was found dead on Saturday near a school pond with serious wounds to her face and head. Police estimate that she had died the previous day. Her body was taken to the district hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

On Saturday afternoon, the woman ‘s husband, 54-year-old Panya, reported to the district police, claiming that he fatally assaulted the victim and dumped her body near the pond, according to Pol Col Pichet Srichantra, superintendent of the Mueang district police.

Pichet said that he was sceptical about Panya’s confession and ordered an investigation. Officers checked footage from the CCTV systems installed in several locations near where Panya claimed to have assaulted the victim.

The footage did not, however, show Panya at any of the locations. Instead, they discovered that a group of boys had been taunting the victim, who is reported to have psychological issues, in front of a convenience store in the early morning hours of January 11^th. Some of the footage also shows the group trying to put the woman onto one of their two motorcycles and later washing their motorcycles at a self-service car wash facility.

All five boys were taken into police custody on Sunday and their parents were asked to attend while they were being questioned. The five boys reportedly confessed to assaulting the victim.