Fishermen to stand trial for torturing crew member at sea

Tran Cong Toan, Doan Van Tac, Su Chi Tam, Nguyen Van Ty, and Nguyen Van Cua, aged between 27 and 41, will stand trial on the two charges of “torturing others” and “intentionally causing injury,” according to prosecutors in Tran Van Thoi District of Ca Mau, Vietnam’s southernmost province.

The crimes are punishable by between three and 10 years imprisonment under Vietnam’s Penal Code.

(From L) Tran Cong Toan, Doan Van Tac, and Nguyen Van Ty at a police station in Ca Mau Province. Photo by VnExpress/An Minh

According to the prosecutors, Toan is the captain of two fishing boats with five crew members. The boats are owned by his mother.

Joining the crew was Truong Van Trung, 48.

On January 4 last year, the two boats set sail and when they were on board, Toan was upset with Trung for “not knowing how to work.”

After a period of fishing together, Toan was disappointed with Trung’s ability and reached out to his contacts on shore, asking for another fisherman to replace Trung but could not find anyone for the job.

His conflicts with Trung kept escalating to the point that he ordered the other fishermen “to beat Trung whenever he could not do his job and I will take full responsibility.”

Fisherman Truong Van Trung with injuries from being beaten by his crew members. Photo acquired by VnExpress

After that order, between early February and late May last year, the five other fishermen took turns torturing Trung on 12 different occasions, including breaking his teeth using pincers, whipping him nonstop with the tail of a ray fish, and forcing him to eat raw fish.

Trung suffered injuries to 48% of his body, according to authorities.

Toan has compensated Trung’s family with VND150 million (US$6,300) and each of the other four fishermen have given him VND3 million.