Hannah Gavios broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks all night long before being rescued the next day. Here she is seen in the ambulance on her way to hospital in Thailand

Young American woman, Hannah Gavios, was rescued by a search party on the morning of September 2, a day after she was brutalized by a maniac in Thailand.
Falling off a sheer cliff to rocks 150ft below,  exposed to the element, all night, she was alive but had lost all feeling in her legs, by the time she was rescued. She is still in hospital in New York having physiotherapy.
In the course of fleeing the wild advances of Apai Ruangwong, Gavios broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong, 28, subjected her to hours of sexual assault.
Inexplicably, the demented Thai sex attacker who brutally assaulted the 23-year-old New York born backpacker after she fell off the cliff and causing loss of mobility, probably on a permanent basis,  has had a 10 year jail sentence halved. The sentence review occurred after only one month, to the chagrin of Hanna’s parents.

Young American Hannah Gavios, a volunteer english teacher,  was visiting Thailand as a tourist, out of her station in Vietnam when she was assaulted by a local tour guide

Hannah Gavios is back in New York after she broke her back in Thailand. Her family is raising money to bridge the gap in her medical insurance funding

Apai Ruangwong 28, was sentenced to ten years earlier this month but the sentence was halved after he pled guilty to the obscene behavior and causing serious injury.
Hanna’s’ mom Gwen Gavois, who has started a gofundme page to help pay for her medical care, condemned the amazingly lenient sentence considering the horrific nature of the crime.
She said: ‘I am dismayed that it is automatically cut down to five years because of a guilty plea.’
Whereas ‘Hannah will suffer the consequences of the attack for the rest of her life’.

Hannah’s attacker, Apai Ruengvorn (photo) was made to re-enact the assault by Thai police. His 10 year sentence has just been cut down to 5 years in a plea deal, a month after the initial sentence was handed down

 Hannah Gavios had been teaching English in Vietnam when she took a holiday to Railay Beach in the resort of Krabi, Thailand still has no feeling in her ankles, feet and backside and is learning to walk again with crutches and leg braces.

The 23-year-old arrived Krabi  on September 1. She became lost on the pitch-black beach and went into a local tourist shop asking for help back to her hotel. Hired-help worker Ruangwong offered to show her the way but instead led her into the jungle where they started climbing a mountain. Gavois, still fatigued from the previous day’s travel from Vietnam, innocently followed him before realizing she was in danger.
Ruangwong made his move pinning her down and tried to rip off her clothes, she fought him off and bit off part of his ear. But, fleeing blindly ran off the edge of a cliff edge in the darkness fractured her spine and smashed her head on the way down before she landed crippled at the bottom of the cliff.
After falling down the cliff the attacker scrambled after her and repeatedly sexually molested her for several hours as she lay helpless.

Hannah Gavios broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong assaulted her. Hannah is seen in the Thai hospital before she was flown back to New York

 

The 23-year-old volunteer teacher was visiting Thailand as a tourist, her life ahead of her before a local sex fiend pinned her down and tried to rip off her clothes, Gavois bravely fought him off and bit off part of his ear

Done, he left his injured victim alone in the dark jungle, but then returned later with other people who raised the alarm and Hannah Gavois  was rescued and taken to hospital.
Recalling the experience, Hannah said at the time: ‘I honestly thought I was going to die.
‘I hit my head a few times and landed on a big bump. I was screaming in pain. It was the most painful thing ever,.
‘I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldn’t move anything.

‘He didn’t rape me but he did everything else.’
Gavois was taken to hospital and later flown back to her home in Queens, New York, where she is still undergoing intensive treatment.
Her parent Gwen and Aaron who have spent thousands visiting Hannah, now need to raise up to $200,000 to help her walk again in expenses not covered by her insurance.

Hanna’s mom Gwen said: ‘We’re raising funds to pay for medical bills, medical equipment, psychotherapy, and physical therapy which will not be fully covered by our insurance company.
‘Hannah’s recovery period is expected to last up to two years or more, and many of the expenses, such as physical therapy will not be covered after several months.
‘We may have to make changes to our home, including a remodeling of our bathroom to accommodate Hannah’s disabilities. We are expecting out of pocket costs to be at least $50,000 and could be as much as $200,000.

Hannah seen with her students in Vietnam,  became lost on the pitch-black beach and went into a local tourist shop asking for help back to her hotel. He supposed guide turned into a monster and attacked in the jungle

She is now undergoing long-term recovery and her family are raising money for health care

‘We have an immediate need for these funds as we have already incurred significant out of pocket costs.
‘It is so meaningful to us that our family and friends want to help us in our time of need. We are forever grateful to anyone who wants to help. The Thai authorities said the verdict will become final after 30 days., may be it can still be repealed.
Help get Hannah up and about again, donate towards her medical costs, visit her GoFundMe page.