Abused and illegally detained by ex-husband's family despite divorce

On the afternoon of June 9, Binh Thuan Provincial Police announced their decision to prosecute, temporarily detain and search the residences of the suspects in the case of illegal detention and abuse in Thien Nghiep commune, Phan Thiet city.

The four defendants prosecuted include: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan (35 years old, residing in Phan Thiet city); Nguyen Thi Hoai Diem (41 years old, residing in Phan Thiet city); Nguyen Hong Tam (50 years old, residing in Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan) and Nguyen Huu Tinh (32 years old, residing in Phan Thiet city) for the crime of "Illegal detention" under Article 157 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017).

Among them, two defendants Nguyen Hong Tam and Nguyen Huu Tinh were subject to preventive measures of being banned from leaving their place of residence.

The decisions have been approved by the People's Procuracy at the same level.

The Investigation Police Agency of Phan Thiet City Police also executed a search warrant at house number 241, Bau Me Street, Thien Nghiep Commune, Phan Thiet City and the house in the land lot number 29, Tran Binh Trong Street, Thien Nghiep Commune.

According to initial information, on April 18, after many days of being detained and brutally abused, Ms. TTBD (33 years old) went to the police station to denounce her ex-husband's family, Mr. NTT, and her two sisters-in-law, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan and Nguyen Thi Hoai Diem.

According to the complaint, she and NTT got married in 2014, have three children together, and live together in Thien Nghiep commune.

After that, the whole family, along with her parents and sister-in-law, moved to rent a house on Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street, Phu Thuy Ward (Phan Thiet City) to live because they believed that the villa in Thien Nghiep had "evil spirits."

By the end of December 2023, Ms. D. was forced to sign divorce papers but still stayed temporarily to take care of her three young children. After that, her ex-husband's family changed the locks, confiscated her phone, and did not allow Ms. D. to go out.

From this point on, many people in her ex-husband's family began to torture Ms. D. under the pretext of "exorcism"; forcing Ms. D. to write a confession of using magic to harm her ex-husband's family, stealing money, having an affair...

Due to fanaticism, the torture was continuous and lasted for a long time. The sisters-in-law even forced Ms. D. to drink wastewater and floor cleaning water...

If Ms. D. resisted, she would be beaten or told that if she did not comply, her 10-year-old daughter would be given wastewater to drink. Because she loved her child, Ms. D. had to comply.

Because the two defendants Nguyen Hong Tam and Nguyen Huu Tinh took turns guarding her, Ms. D. could not escape or call for help from those around her.

On April 16, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan thought that Ms. D. had stolen money, so she escorted her to a bank branch in Phan Thiet to check and make an account statement. Only then did Ms. D. have the opportunity to leave the house after more than four months of detention.

However, at that time, she did not dare to escape or call for help because she was threatened that if she called for help or escaped, they would force her three young children to drink poison.

After that, Ms. D. was taken to a house in Ham Liem commune, Ham Thuan Bac district for 2 days and on April 18, her sister-in-law took her to her parents' house in Phong Nam commune (Phan Thiet city) to get the book that her husband's family said Ms. D. had stolen.

At that time, Ms. D's biological parents discovered that their daughter's face, hands and body were covered with injuries, so they shouted and took Ms. D to the police station to report.

According to the injury assessment results, Ms. D. suffered 10 injuries with a total body injury rate of 20%, including fractures of the main nasal bone (rate of 7%); fractures of ribs VII and VIII (rate of 4%)... The injuries were all caused by very strong impacts.

According to Ms. D.'s accusation, since the beginning of 2023, her husband's entire family was lured into joining an organization called "Thien Trieu Nam Quoc."

From this point on, because of fanaticism, they believed that Ms. D. was a reincarnated "monster" and had become a daughter-in-law to harm their entire family. So after forcing a divorce, the whole family continuously beat and brutally tortured her.

To prosecute and arrest the suspects in this case was a great effort by the detectives and investigators of Phan Thiet City Police because the suspects had many very sophisticated coping methods.

These people destroyed all the memory cards in the camera at the house where Ms. D. was being held and discussed and agreed on statements to deceive the investigation agency.

The case is under further investigation./.