Prosecution of nanny child abuse case

On the afternoon of May 23, Thanh Khe District Police (Da Nang City) said,are consolidating the case file to prosecute Ms. Dinh Thi Hong, who abused many children at the kindergarten she owned in Chinh Gian ward, Thanh Khe district. Previously, the police had initiated a case on the charge of child abuse.

An investigator said that Ms. Hong showed signs of violating Clause 2, Article 140 of the 2015 Penal Code. Because she tortured two or more people, she faces a prison sentence of one to three years.

Earlier on the morning of May 21, social media circulated two videos and several images showing a nanny placing a baby boy on the floor and continuously pouring food into his mouth. Another image showed the nanny using both hands to lift another baby by the head.

A parent who saw the video and discovered her child being abused reported it to the Chinh Gian Ward Police Station. Ms. Hong was invited to the police station and confessed to her actions.

Ms. Hong explained that because her 28-month-old son had a poor appetite, she had to put him on his back on the floor and use her feet to restrain him. In a moment of anger, she slapped him in the face. As for the image of lifting the 12-month-old baby, she said that because he had scabies, she had to hold him by the head and take him out when he vomited.

Thanh Khe District Police coordinated with the families to take 14 children to the hospital for health check-ups.

Ms. Hong has a college degree in preschool education and was licensed by the ward People's Committee to establish a nursery group in May 2013. This nursery group was revoked and closed by the People's Committee of Chinh Gian ward.

Da Nang currently has more than 1,000 independent children's groups, leading to difficulty in management.This morning, Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City Huynh Duc Tho requested the City Women's Union to develop a project to support independent private childcare groups in the area. The city will allocate a budget for the association to implement.

This afternoon, the People's Committee of Thanh Khe district met to hear a report on the management of kindergartens and childcare groups in the area, after many children were abused at Ms. Hong's care facility.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh - Chairman of Thanh Khe District People's Committee requested the People's Committees of wards to increase surprise inspections and tighten the licensing of independent groups and classes in the area.

The district leaders requested the ward People's Committees to post information about the childcare groups at their headquarters and send information to each residential group so that parents can choose to send their children. With this approach, Mr. Tinh said that unqualified groups will be eliminated.

Mr. Tinh also asked the Department of Education to advise on expanding the installation of cameras in kindergartens next month.