Was there or wasn't there an attempted kidnapping of a girl in Yen Thanh?

(Baonghean.vn) - "At that time, there was a man sitting on a motorbike, wearing a face mask. He squeezed my mouth open, put a pill in, poured water in, and forced me to drink it..."

To this day, little Van is still terrified and anxious since the incident. Every time she sees a stranger, she clings to her mother. Photo: Lan Thai

The account of the girl, allegedly a victim of a kidnapping in Bac Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, has partially shed light on the case that has stirred public opinion in this rice-growing region in recent days.

In recent days, information circulating on social media about a 7-year-old girl being kidnapped in Dong Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An province) has caused widespread public concern and anxiety.

News of little Van's disappearance quickly spread on social media. Photo: Lan Thai

That person is Phan Thi Van (born in 2010), residing in Hamlet 5, Bac Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District. Following the address provided by the Facebook account owner, we went to Bac Thanh Commune to verify the incident.

Ms. Tran Thi Hai, Van's mother, said: "I took my eldest and youngest children to my parents' house in Hamlet 15, Dong Thanh Commune, two days ago, while Van stayed at home with her paternal grandmother. Around 9 a.m. on July 9th, my younger brother had some business at home, so he picked her up to go to her grandparents' house to play. Around 12:30 p.m., while the whole family was taking a nap, she woke up, opened the door to go to the bathroom, and then didn't come back in."

Immediately afterwards, Ms. Hai's family organized a search party and reported the incident to the Dong Thanh Commune Police. At around 3 PM that same day, Ms. Hai's family found Van at a friend's house in Hamlet 8, Bac Thanh Commune.

Frightened by our presence, after a moment of encouragement from her mother, Phan Thi Van recounted the incident of being kidnapped by two strangers: “When I went outside to use the restroom, a woman standing at my grandmother’s gate called me out. When I went out, she asked if I wanted to play with her. I was scared and ran back inside, but she pulled me back and carried me out to the gate. At that time, a man sitting on a motorbike, wearing a mask, squeezed my mouth open, put a pill in my mouth, and poured water in, forcing me to drink it.”

According to Vân, when they reached Hamlet 8, Bắc Thành Commune, she started screaming and crying. “Just then, two people passing by saw her crying, stopped to see what was wrong, and the man and woman stopped their motorbike and let her out onto the road…”

The story of little Van's sudden disappearance became the focus of social media attention when some people reported that she had been kidnapped. This information received hundreds of comments and dozens of shares from netizens.

Ms. Tran Thi Hai and her daughter Phan Thi Van. Photo: Lan Thai

In a separate development, amidst public confusion, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang (residing in Hop Thanh hamlet, Nam Thanh commune) has spoken out about the matter.

To investigate the matter, we also spoke with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, who said: “Around 1:30 PM, I was returning from my grandparents' house in Dong Tro hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, to Nam Thanh when I encountered a little girl walking alone in the Nha Ba slope area. I stopped my motorbike and asked her where she was going, offering to give her a ride, but she refused. I told her to get in and I would take her home, saying it was dangerous to be alone and might encounter bad people, so she agreed to get in. When she saw me, Van showed no signs of crying or fear.”

On the way, I asked the child where she was going and if her parents knew. She said she was going to her grandmother's house, and that her parents knew. I asked her whose child she was and where she lived, and she said her house was down there, an old, dilapidated house. At that time, the mountain road was deserted, and it was midday, so I was very scared. I drove along the road she indicated to take her home. When we reached the entrance to Hamlet 1 - Trung Thanh, I asked her if we were almost home, and she replied that we were. I told her to get off there and go home by herself, and she agreed. After that, I turned the car around and drove back to Nam Thanh commune."

The leader of the Dong Thanh commune police said that immediately after receiving information about Van's disappearance, the commune launched an investigation. It was confirmed that Van left her grandmother's house in Dong Trung hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, on the afternoon of July 9th, but this was not a child abduction case as reported on social media.

Ms. Tran Thi Hai, Van's mother, seemed quite confused: "Honestly, we don't know for sure if there was a kidnapping or not, but I think the little girl couldn't have fabricated a story about being kidnapped in such a well-planned way. Since the incident, she has shown signs of fear, often crying and running away when people come to visit."

On the evening of the same day the incident occurred, Ms. Hai's family took Van to Yen Thanh District General Hospital for examination, but even now, the child still shows signs of fear and anxiety.

Thai Orchid