In a tragic event, a man was captured on video committing a heinous act against his infant daughter on Facebook Live before taking his own life.
Thai authorities disclosed that 21-year-old Wuttisan Wongtalay hanged his 11-month-old daughter Natalie and then committed suicide at an abandoned hotel in Phuket after a dispute with his spouse in 2017.
The disturbing video remained online on Facebook for an entire day before being removed by the platform following widespread condemnation.
Facebook extended its sympathies to the family for the “shocking” incident and promptly deleted the content.
Subsequently, local TV aired heart-wrenching scenes of the child’s mother, 21-year-old Chiranut Trairat, tearfully holding her deceased daughter in her arms.
Chiranut Trairat, in an interview with the Associated Press, expressed understanding towards those who shared the video, attributing it to their distress over the tragedy caused by someone close to her. She disclosed that her husband had a history of abusive behavior and a prior prison sentence before their relationship started.
Footage showed her mourning next to her daughter’s coffin at a temple, softly speaking to her child.
Authorities confirmed that this disturbing incident was the first known murder broadcast on Facebook in Thailand, prompting strong reactions from users.
The video of the tragedy was also briefly available on YouTube but was promptly removed after a notification from the BBC.
Facebook has pledged to reassess its protocols after a distressing video of a murder in the US lingered on the platform in 2017. Wongtalay’s family spotted the distressing content and alerted authorities, but unfortunately, it was too late to prevent the tragic outcome.
A Facebook spokesperson conveyed condolences, emphasizing that such content has no place on the platform and has been taken down.
Concerns about the use of Facebook Live arose in Thailand back in 2016 when local media streamed live footage of a university lecturer suspected in the deaths of two colleagues. The ordeal ended tragically with the lecturer taking his own life during a standoff with the police.
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