Heartbreaking image of two children going to court to meet their father

The father's consecutive mistakes

Throughout the trial the defendantLuong Van Tung(born in 1993), residing in Dien Lam commune, Quy Chau district, for the crime of “Illegal drug trafficking”, the 7-year-old girl (Tung’s daughter) stood outside the court hallway sobbing. Her mother asked her to take a day off from school early in the morning to go with her mother, grandmother and younger brother to see her father.

Unable to attend the trial, the little girl could only stand outside the door and look inside. Even though her face was covered with a mask, her eyes still showed sadness. At times, she could not hold back her tears and sobbed, calling out, “Daddy.”

Although he is the father of two children, Luong Van Tung is not determined to make a living. Addicted to drugs and unemployed, Tung often hangs out with local hangers-on. As a result, the financial burden falls on the shoulders of his wife, who is the same age.

At noon on June 26, 2021, after being contacted by someone to order drugs and given an advance of 8 million VND, Tung went to the acacia hill area in Lim village, Chau Phong commune, Quy Chau district to buy the "goods". After negotiating, Tung bought 3 packages of pink phien (more than 60 grams) and 9 taels of heroin (more than 33 grams) for 8 million VND.

Defendant Luong Van Tung at the trial. Photo: Tran Vu

That same afternoon, Tung drove his wife and children to deliver drugs to customers. When they reached Tien Thanh bridge, Chau Thanh commune (Quy Hop), Tung let his wife and children get off the car and drove alone for about 15m more. Then, Tung stopped the car, took the drugs out of his pocket, put them in his motorbike helmet and hid them in the bushes by the roadside.

A few minutes later, while Tung was holding the helmet containing the drugs waiting for a customer to pick them up, the police arrived and arrested him along with the evidence. The authorities quickly tested Tung and his wife, Nong Thi Th, for drugs. The results showed that both husband and wife's blood tested positive for drugs.

Explaining this, Tung stated that he used drugs but did not know that his wife also used this banned substance. As for the wife, when questioned by the court, she firmly stated that she did not use drugs. This woman also said that she may have had a cold before, bought some western medicine to use, so she may have "put drugs in it"...

Tears in the Courtroom

At the trial, Tung explained that his motive for committing the crime was due to debt pressure and to earn money to build a new house. “I was short of money because I was building a house. When someone hired me to buy drugs, I agreed,” Tung told the jury.

“How long have you been addicted to drugs? How many doses do you use each day?”, Tung answered in response to the court’s question: “I recently became addicted. I use about 2 times a day, each time about 100,000 VND. I work in the wood industry, so when I earn a few dong, I use that money to buy drugs to use.”

She brought her grandchildren closer to the door to see their father more clearly. Photo: Tran Vu

Tung admitted that he knew that being addicted to drugs was a suffering and a sin against his wife and children, but he could not quit. “The defendant knows he was wrong. I ask the court to consider reducing his sentence so that he can start a new life and return to his two young children.”

During the deliberation hour, Tung’s 7-year-old daughter tiptoed into the courtroom, standing behind her father. Tung sat completely turned around, his eyes red as he asked about his children, wife and mother. After hearing his father’s advice to be good and obey his grandmother and mother, the little girl nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. She tiptoed, leaned closer to her father, and blurted out, “I miss you, Dad.”

Listening to her grandson crying, Tung's mother, who was holding her 15-month-old grandson, also choked up. She said that for many years she had to raise two children alone after her husband died early. Tung finished 6th grade, then dropped out of school and went to work for hire. She knew her son was addicted to drugs but was helpless because she could not persuade him to quit.

“Since the day she was arrested, I had to take care of my grandchild so that my daughter-in-law could go to work and earn money. She was foolish and got involved in drug trafficking. I just feel sorry for the two little grandchildren who have to be away from their father. Since her father was arrested, every day she asks about him,” the woman said, hugging her little grandchild tightly. She added: I didn’t know my daughter-in-law was using drugs, now I’m even more worried that she’s falling, following in her husband’s footsteps.

Heartbreaking image of a 7-year-old child watching his father's trial. Photo: Tran Vu

The reunion between the defendant and his children was brief when the court announced the verdict. After considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances in the case, the panel sentenced Luong Van Tung to 17 years in prison for "Illegal drug trafficking".

Before being escorted out of the courtroom to the camp, Luong Van Tung turned back, told his wife to take care of the two children, then waved goodbye to his daughter. After hearing his grandmother tell her father to “try to reform so you can return soon,” the 7-year-old girl followed, “Dad, remember to reform well…”

Late afternoon, two grandchildren followed their relatives home. The winter sky was drizzly and gloomy, gray...