A family tragedy unfolds as the mother and her two children are successively imprisoned.

Using the money from selling pigs... to traffic heroin.

This was the confession of defendant Trinh Thi Song Huong (born in 1965), residing in Quang Phong ward, Thai Hoa town, at the first-instance trial for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics". The defendant stated that the 15 million VND used to buy the drugs came from the sale of piglets previously.

Also at this trial, Huong's drug trafficking activities were clarified. According to the indictment and the defendant's testimony at the trial, early in the morning of November 21, 2021, Huong was at home when a woman named Yen came to discuss buying and selling drugs for profit. Huong agreed, so she went into the house, opened the safe, took out 15 million VND, and then went with Yen to buy drugs on her motorbike.

Defendant Trinh Thi Song Huong confessed that she trafficked drugs due to debt. Photo: Tran Vu

In a mountainous forest area, Huong gave 15 million VND to an unknown young man to buy drugs. About two hours later, the seller brought out a plastic bag containing drugs, dropped it on the road, and directed Huong to pick it up. After receiving the "goods," Huong asked Yen to drive her home. However, on the way, Huong was arrested by the police along with the evidence, which was over 47 grams of drugs.

When questioned by the court about the purpose of drug trafficking, Huong testified that it was "due to debt pressure." Huong recounted her plight: Her family was unfortunate when their eldest child contracted a terminal illness. To treat their son, they mortgaged their land title to the bank to borrow 200 million VND for his medication. When the repayment deadline arrived, she was unable to repay and feared the bank would seize their house. Therefore, when Yen approached her and suggested drug trafficking, she agreed.

When questioned by the court about the money used to commit the crime, the defendant stated: "My family had just sold a litter of piglets and kept the money in a safe. That day, when Yen came to invite me to go trading, I didn't think much and immediately opened the safe and took all the money from the piglet sale." The female defendant justified her crime by citing her limited understanding of the law. However, this justification was reprimanded by the panel of judges because this was her second offense. Furthermore, her two children are currently serving prison sentences for different crimes.

A family tragedy: both mother and two children end up in prison.

Before the witness stand, Huong presented her family circumstances to ask the court to consider mitigating her sentence. According to Huong, her two children (one son and one daughter) are currently serving prison sentences. When mentioning her children, the female defendant wiped away tears. Huong said that about 5 or 6 years ago, her eldest son, born in 1986, was given the opportunity by his family to go to Vinh City to learn a trade. However, when he returned home from the city, he contracted HIV and infected his wife. Shortly after, he was arrested for drug-related offenses and sentenced to 30 years in prison. “Since my son went to prison, I visited him a few times to encourage him. But now I no longer have the opportunity to visit him,” Huong expressed her remorse.

Huong appeared saddened when mentioning that her two children are also in prison. Photo: Tran Vu

Not only was her eldest child involved in legal troubles, but Huong's second daughter was also sentenced to prison. Therefore, both of her children are currently serving their sentences. When asked if she felt any remorse or regret about her two children being in prison while she followed in their footsteps, Huong remained silent and bowed her head. She stated that she was "very sad" and always felt guilty towards her husband. "During my detention, my husband came to visit me. He didn't say much, only that I should correct my mistakes," Huong recounted.

At this trial, Huong's husband was not present. The female defendant sent a message to her husband, who was back home, offering her apologies and hoping he would try his best to take care of their five grandchildren while both parents were in prison.

After the trial, the panel of judges determined that the defendant's actions were dangerous to society. Despite knowing that drug trafficking was illegal, the defendant still engaged in it, demonstrating a disregard for the law, and therefore deserved severe punishment. However, some mitigating circumstances such as honest confession and remorse should also be considered. Considering all aspects of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Trinh Thi Song Huong to 15 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of illegally trafficking narcotics.

In this case, according to the defendant's testimony, Yen was also involved. However, Yen denied the crime and claimed that Huong only asked her to drive her to buy a pair of buffaloes and cows for slaughter, and that she was unaware of Huong's drug trafficking activities. The investigating agency conducted a confrontation between Huong and Yen regarding this matter, but could not clarify whether Yen participated in the drug trafficking. Currently, Yen is not present in the area, so the investigating agency will verify and investigate the matter further.

Huong was previously sentenced to 7 months in prison for "theft of property." Entering prison a second time at nearly 60 years old and already a grandmother, Huong's path back home seemed distant. That was the price this woman had to pay for her disregard of the law. Now she has plenty of time to reflect on herself, tormented by the fact that she hasn't fulfilled her responsibility to be a good role model for her children. Because her children...As a reflection of their parents' actions, words, and behaviors—the actions of those closest to them—children easily remember, imitate, and follow them.If adults themselves lack the awareness to set a good example for their children, we shouldn't expect to have future generations of decent and exemplary citizens.