Heartbreaking images of three children waiting for their father in court.
(Baonghean.vn) - While their father was on trial, awaiting the court's verdict, three children wept in the courthouse hallway, trying to squeeze their way inside. The construction contractor's misstep not only landed him in prison but also cast a dark shadow over the future of these three children.
Construction contractor"indigo"because of drugs
One day in mid-September, at the People's Court of Nghe An province, a large crowd had gathered in the courtyard since early morning. They were the wives, children, and relatives of the defendant Tran Van Hoa (41 years old), residing in Anh Son town, Anh Son district, who was on trial for the crime of "illegally trading narcotics." Tiredness was evident on everyone's faces after the long journey. Among them were three children, aged 15, 11, and 5, Hoa's children. Today, the three siblings decided to skip school and accompany their mother to the court to see their father.
Not old enough to sit in court, the three brothers had to look after each other in the hallway. While the youngest brother innocently played, the two older brothers sobbed, especially when they heard their father's answers from inside the courtroom. Seeing this, a relative quickly approached and patted them on the shoulder, offering words of comfort.
With teary eyes, the man lamented, "Since childhood, my siblings and I have lacked our parents' love because Hoa and her husband frequently went to Laos for work. We thought that if they worked hard far from home for a while, and eventually their finances improved, our parents could be reunited with their children. But now, our family is shattered like this..."
Inside the courtroom, Hoa recounted his criminal activities as follows: he had worked in construction in Laos for nearly ten years. Initially, his income was quite stable, allowing him to provide for his wife and children. However, since Hoa started importing construction materials from Vietnam to Laos for resale, his losses increased significantly. Debts, coupled with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, further exacerbated his financial situation.
During Tet (Vietnamese New Year) in 2023, Hoa decided to stay in Laos instead of returning home for the holiday. During this time, Hoa met Vu (a Laotian national) who suggested he sell drugs. About a month later, Hoa contacted two acquaintances, Son and Hoc, to discuss selling drugs.
On February 9, 2023, Hoa received a phone call from Son ordering 10 packages of methamphetamine, agreeing on a price of 70 million VND. Meanwhile, Hoc ordered 5 packages of methamphetamine for 15 million VND. To obtain the money to buy the drugs, Hoa returned to Vietnam and requested the two customers to transfer the money in advance.
On February 13th, after the two customers transferred 25 million VND in advance, Hoa went to Laos to buy 15 packages of drugs (worth over 25 million VND). Hoa testified that he didn't bring the drugs back to Vietnam immediately because he was afraid of being discovered by the police. Therefore, Hoa requested the seller to deliver the "goods" near a gas station in Huong Son district (Ha Tinh province).
After receiving the drugs, on the evening of February 14th, Tran Van Hoa delivered them to two customers. Following a successful transaction involving 5 packets of methamphetamine in Cau Ro (Thanh Chuong district), Hoa went to a cornfield in Da Son commune, Do Luong district, to deliver the remaining drugs to the customer when he was caught red-handed by the police. The investigating agency determined that Hoa is criminally liable for over 212 grams of drugs.
The defendant, Hoa, showed sincerity and remorse for her criminal actions. Hoa presented her difficult circumstances and young children to the court, requesting a reduction in her sentence.
When mentioning his children, the defendant's eyes welled up with tears. Hoa stated that since his detention, every time he thinks of his three children, he cries. The young father admitted that he had failed to fulfill his duties as a father in the family…
Heartbreaking to see children crying and calling out their father's name.
The trial dragged on until late afternoon, but the three children stood huddled by the door, watching their father from afar. As soon as the court adjourned for deliberation, the three siblings timidly went inside to where their father was sitting. Seeing his children crying, Hoa asked the police officer for permission to hug his young children after a long separation. With his hands cuffed, Hoa tightly embraced each child, sobbing uncontrollably. His apologies and parting words were interrupted by choked sobs.
Talking to her relatives, Hoa couldn't stop regretting her mistakes. It was with those same hands that, many years ago, helped her work, earn money to support her family, and develop their economy. But it was also with those same hands that the construction contractor, driven by greed and drugs, became involved in illicit activities.
During his brief reunion with his wife, Hoa always regretted the happy times their family had shared. There was a time when his wife decided to take their youngest child to Laos to help him with cooking and other chores for the construction crew. She decided to leave their two older children with relatives, hoping to ease the burden so Hoa could focus on his work.
But then, she never imagined that her husband, whom she had always trusted wholeheartedly, would fall into a life of crime. And now, the whole family must meet in a place no one would wish to be in. Even more heartbreaking was hearing the court's sentence of 20 years in prison for her husband.
The sentence brought tears to the young father's eyes. If only, before his hands were stained with blood, Hoa had thought of his hardworking wife and children, the outcome wouldn't have been so tragic. Hopefully, the innocent words of encouragement and the children's heartfelt messages, "We miss you, Dad," will motivate Hoa to reform and soon return to the right path.
