Father of 8-year-old girl abused to death arrested

Nguyen Kim Trung Thai, 36, is now investigated for abuse, police in Binh Thanh District said on Friday.

Police had arrested 26-year-old Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang, his fiancée, under the same charge on Tuesday.

Thai divorced last year. Since then he and Trang had lived with his eight-year-old daughter at an apartment complex in Binh Thanh District. She frequently forced the little girl to do chores and beat her.

On Dec. 22, Trang beat the girl to the point of unconsciousness. The girl was rushed to hospital, but it was later determined that she had died before reaching the hospital.

Her wounds and bruises later led doctors to contact the police.

Autopsy results determined that the girl had a hematoma under the skin of her forehead, mild cerebral edema, and broken ribs.

Police also said multiple bruises on the little girl included wounds that had already healed, suggesting she was beaten before. Investigations into witnesses and others involved in the case were soon launched.

At the apartment, police found a broken broom and several objects suggesting the girl was beaten and forced to do chores. Neighbors also said they often heard the little girl cry.

Thai admitted to the police that he knew his fiancée often used rods and sticks to beat his daughter, but did not “react strongly” to protect her.

After Trang was arrested, the mother of the girl, Nguyen Thi Hanh, Thai’s ex-wife, had requested an investigation into his role in their daughter’s death.

Her brother Nguyen Quang Vinh, who represented the family to work with the police on the case, said an abuse charge for Trang would not be “appropriate” for what she did to his niece.

Atter Trang was arrested and probed for abuse, the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights had sent a petition to local authorities, suggested that her behavior should be considered as a sign of “intentionally causing injury that leads to death,” a charge that would see her face a much heavier penalty frame than “abuse.”

Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has ordered the Ministry of Public Security and HCMC authorities to urgently investigate the case and make sure everyone responsible is punished.