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More than 31,000 girls and women were raped in Thailand last year and about 60% of them were university students and school pupils, while alcohol use is a major contributing factor to sexual assault, academics said on Thursday.

According to the Public Health Ministry, there were 31,866 rape cases last year, or 87 cases per day on average, or one victim every 15 minutes, Supensri Puengkhokesoong, a leading member of the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP), said at a forum on sexual violence in Thailand. The event was organised by the government's Social Development and Welfare Department, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the WMP.

"Most of the women and girls were exploited by people who they were close to and trusted," Ms Supensri said.

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