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BANGKOK, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - Two Thai teachers were each sentenced to 50 years in prison Tuesday for gang raping six of their students, who were as young as six years old, court officials said.
Lorn Sorakanit, 59, and Pimol Chumsri, 49 - both teachers at a public school on the outskirts of Bangkok - were convicted by the Thai Criminal Court of sexual abuse, molestation and illegal detention of the six girls.
The girls were aged between six and eight years old when the two teachers began assaulting them in June 2006, the court said.
Parents of the students sought help from Paveena Hongskul, a non-government organisation, to file charges against the teachers in August 2006.
In its ruling, the court said the teachers on many occasions would take turns raping the girls, sometimes forcing their classmates to watch.
Thailand has become the focus of international concerns over sexual abuse of children following a spate of paedophile arrests.
Last week the Supreme Court upheld a 36-year sentence for the former deputy speaker of the Senate, Chalerm Promlert, who was convicted of having sex with four underage girls.
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