Husband borrowed money, brought a group of children to 'send' wife to jail

Nearly 8 months since my wife was bornLuong Thi Hoa (born in 1979, also known as Coc Thi Don), residing in Pha Danh commune, Ky Son district, was arrested for human trafficking. Luong Van Hoa and his father have not had the opportunity to visit each other due to the pandemic. Therefore, when the People's Court of Nghe An province brought the defendant Hoa to trial, the defendant's husband brought his young children to court.

Mr. Hoa said that the night before, he had borrowed 2 million VND for travel expenses. After a journey of more than 300 km, they arrived at the Provincial Court. It was their first time traveling by bus, making the children tired and limping as they followed their father.

Sitting in the courtroom, Luong Thi Hoa burst into tears as soon as she saw her husband and children. Hoa used to have a peaceful life with her husband and four children. But then, after a trip to China to visit her sister, this woman got into trouble with the law.

Specifically, around April 2016, Hoa received a call from her younger sister, Coc Thi Hinh (currently married and living in China), inviting her to visit China for a few days. Hoa refused because she had no money. But after her sister promised to pay for the travel expenses, Hoa agreed.

Luong Thi Hoa cried when she saw her children in court. Photo: Tran Vu

At the same time, Ms. Luong Thi L. (born in 1996) came to Hoa's house to visit. Knowing that she was preparing to go to China, L. proactively offered to go with her. "If you go, will you take me?"go to China to get married“Okay? I’ll only take 90 million dong,” Ms. L. suggested. “Let me ask my sister first, I’m afraid I don’t have the money,” Hoa replied to her niece.

After that, Hoa told her sister that L. wanted to go to China to get married. Hinh agreed to take her there on the condition that L's family agreed. A few days later, L's biological mother came to see Hoa and asked for her daughter to go to China to get married.

With the consent of her nephew's family, Hoa informed her sister. About 10 days later, Hoa took L across the border to China. After meeting many people, L agreed to marry a Chinese man. Hinh sold L to this man for 192 million VND.

Before returning home, Hoa was given 6.5 million VND by her sister. The victim's family received 90 million VND from Hinh. Speaking of the victim, after nearly 4 years of being a wife in a foreign country, she returned to Vietnam in October 2020. Nearly a year later, on August 11, 2021, Ms. L filed a complaint against Luong Thi Hoa for human trafficking to the police.

When asked about the motive for the crime, defendant Hoa cried and complained: “I did not go to school, I am illiterate, so I do not understand the law. Therefore, when L asked to go to China to get married, I agreed. Moreover, L's family also came to talk and asked to take her. Because she is my niece, and I was preparing to visit my sister, I agreed to take L there. I did not think that was a violation of the law. I am very remorseful and hope that the law will give me a lenient sentence.”

When the panel of judges analyzed that it was a violation of the law, the defendant continuously cried, asking the court to consider a lenient sentence so that she could soon return home with her husband to take care of their young children.

Speaking at the trial, the defendant's husband stated that after the victim filed a complaint, because he wanted to atone for part of his wife's mistake, he borrowed 20 million VND to compensate Ms. L.

The heartbroken husband went to the court to see his wife off to prison. Photo: Tran Vu

Then this man shared that his family has been poor for many years, with 4 children of eating and studying age, and the economy depends only on farming, so it is very difficult. Since his wife was arrested, the burden has been on his shoulders again. He said: "My eldest daughter is currently a boarding student at a high school. Every week, she comes home to get food once to save money. It is difficult, but I will always encourage my daughter to go to school to learn to read and write to be a good person, to understand the law, so as not to commit crimes like her mother."

The court deliberated, the children led each other into the courtroom to see their mother. When they met, the mother and children could only look at each other and cry. Perhaps during the months in the detention camp, Hoa felt the loss of a mother-child relationship being torn apart by her mistake. In tears, the mother apologized to her children.

The panel of judges determined that although Ms. L had requested to go to China to get married, Luong Thi Hoa's actions constituted the crime of human trafficking and therefore needed to be dealt with severely. The defendant Hoa's actions violated the law, infringing on the rights, dignity and honor of women protected by law. However, it is also necessary to consider some mitigating circumstances for the defendant such as her honest confession, remorse, and being an ethnic minority...

Considering the case comprehensively, the panel sentenced defendant Luong Thi Hoa to 4 years in prison for human trafficking. As for Coc Thi Hinh, because this subject was not present in the locality, the police agency continued to verify and when there is enough evidence, they will handle it later.

Before being escorted out of court, Hoa cried loudly, raised her handcuffed hands and tried to wave goodbye to her four children who were sobbing and looking after her...