The path to redemption of a man convicted of murder

(Baonghean.vn) - Intoxicated and unable to control himself, Nguyen Van Thinh (born in 1968), residing in Bao Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An), committed murder. After 12 years in prison, he returned to his hometown and rose to live a good life, becoming a shining example in reintegrating into the community.

Coming to Hamlet 8, Bao Thanh Commune, we met Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh, a man who once made mistakes but has now reformed and become a useful person for his family and society. In the newly built small house is the home of him, his wife and two good children. The first time we met to hear him talk about his past mistakes, the man just smiled gently and said: "I have nothing to hide, I just hope everyone will see this as a lesson so they don't make the same mistakes again"...

He decided to use the little capital he had saved to become rich.

The incident happened 24 years ago but he still remembers it clearly. He recounted: “On the evening of the 30th of Tet in 1992, when my younger brother was riding a motorbike and collided with another person, the two sides argued in the middle of the road. At that time, I was also present. While I could not control myself and was already drunk, I knocked the other person on the motorbike to the ground and died afterwards.”

Being convicted of murder and serving 18 years in prison at the age of 20 was a huge shock to him. His family and neighbors could not believe that he was convicted of murder, because he had always been a gentle person and had never caused any scandal in the locality.

During his time in prison, he always felt tormented and depressed, and sometimes he thought that his life was over. Every night, thinking about his old mother and siblings who were waiting for him, he felt heartbroken and regretful. From then on, he was determined to rebuild his life. Thanks to the encouragement of his family and the help of prison officers, he made a good improvement and was released from prison 6 years early.

The day he returned to society, he was very happy, but also very afraid that people would shun him and criticize him. Feeling sorry for his old mother who longed for him every day, he was still determined to return to his hometown. What he did not expect was that when he first returned home, everyone came to encourage him to try to start over, giving him more motivation to rise up.

After leaving prison with nothing, he decided to go to the South to work for money. After 4 years of struggling in a foreign land, with a little money saved, in 2005, he returned to his hometown. Through the introduction of relatives, he met and fell in love with Ms. Hoang Thi Luong in Trung Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. Understanding his feelings about his past, she was determined to stick with him.

Due to the difficult circumstances of both his paternal and maternal families, he decided not to ask for help from anyone but to use the money he had saved over the years as capital for the couple to do business. Every day, at around 3am, he went to the mountainous districts such as Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky, Do Luong... to buy bananas and jackfruits to bring back to the lowlands to sell.

Thanks to the banana business, up to now, each month, he and his wife have an income of about 5-6 million VND. Neighbors see that he and his wife work hard, so they often come to buy goods to encourage him.

Every day, he travels hundreds of kilometers to collect and transport bananas for sale.

To earn more income, he also raises cows, pigs, and chickens. Thanks to his diligence and hard work, his family's life has gradually stabilized and he has enough to eat and live comfortably. In 2014, he was honored to attend the Conference to honor exemplary individuals who have done well in community reintegration work in Yen Thanh district.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Chung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Bao Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District said: "Mr. Thinh is one of the typical individuals who has done a good job in reintegrating into the community. He not only strives to get rich legitimately but also actively participates in the activities of the hamlet and commune; he deserves to become a shining example for those with a wrongful past to follow."

Duc Chung