Sympathy as the trial closes!

(Baonghean.vn) -Although the judge repeatedly reminded the defendant how to address her, after a while, the defendant used his name to the court, saying, "May didn't know that what she did was a crime"...

The trial of defendant Moong Thi May (born in 1985, residing in Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district) took place on a morning in late October. Attending the trial were May's husband, her sister and three members of the victim's family. Unlike other trials, the defendant's and victim's families did not have any animosity or show anger or resentment towards each other. They all reside in the border district of Ky Son and traveled on the same bus to attend the trial.

Defendant Moong Thi May was prosecuted for "human trafficking", but May did not sell just one person, May sold four people to China. Of these, three escaped back to Vietnam and filed a complaint against May to the police, and the other one was confessed by May herself. May spoke so "innocently" as if she did not know that her actions were illegal. In fact, May admitted that in court.

Defendant Moong Thi May in court. Photo: Phuong Thao

May went to China in 2009, married a Chinese man and lived with her husband and father-in-law there. Her father-in-law and husband told May that if anyone in the area wanted to go to China to get married, they would contact them to find a buyer for 60,000 to 65,000 yuan (equivalent to 180 million to 195 million Vietnamese Dong) depending on the beauty of each person and they would give May a commission.

In March 2013, May took Moong Thi Tich (born in 1990, residing in Huoi Tho village, Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district) to China. May and her father-in-law sold Moong Thi Tich to a Chinese man for 60,000 yuan (equivalent to about 180 million VND). May gave Tich's family 2 times for the amount of 80 million VND. Moong Thi May benefited 30 million VND from the sale of Moong Thi Tich and spent all of the money on personal expenses.

The second time, in July 2013, Moong Thi May took Moong Thi Ly (born in 1996, residing in Huoi Thum village, Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district) to China and sold her to a Chinese man for 60,000 yuan. Because life in China was too miserable, Ly called May and said she wanted to escape back to Vietnam and May also helped Ly return home.

In addition to Moong Thi Tich and Moong Thi Ly, May also confessed to selling Moong Thi Giang (residing in Huoi Tho village, Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district) and Xeo Thi Mang (residing in Thao Di village, Bao Nam commune, Ky Son district) to Chinese people.

When the judge said: "You sold many people to China, do you realize your wrongdoings?", May started to cry. "Those people asked me if I could earn money in China. May said that all I had to do was get married and I would have money. Everyone agreed to go, so May took them there..."

''At court, the person on trial must address himself as the defendant...'', the presiding judge interrupted.

''Yes, the defendant now knows she was wrong, but before that, May only thought of taking them there to marry Chinese men like May...'', Moong Thi May said, crying.

Moong Thi May's answer with mixed phrases and the way May spoke made everyone present in the courtroom believe that what May said was true. May also answered the questions of the people's jury and the representative of the Procuracy very fully, in every detail, including things that were disadvantageous to May.

Considering that the defendant confessed honestly and had limited legal awareness, the panel sentenced Moong Thi May to 5 years in prison. Watching the entire trial closely, May’s husband, a man wearing an old brown shirt in the style of the Khmu ethnic group, quietly watched his wife from afar. Hearing the verdict, he looked at his wife with sympathy.

"Why did you let May go to China to get married and then commit human trafficking?" - I asked.

''I just married May at the beginning of the year. May has had 3 husbands, I'm the third husband. The first husband often beat May so she left for China. Life in China was miserable so she came back to Vietnam. I love May so I married her'' - May's husband replied.

Do you and your wife have children?

''May and I have two children, one is 9 months old, the other is in May's belly, only 2 months old. May has two other children, one with her first husband and one with her Chinese husband. I am also raising May's child with her Chinese husband. But I feel so sorry for May, she doesn't know what she did was wrong, she just thinks of it as a dowry in her hometown''.

''May is 2 months pregnant, why doesn't she present her situation to the court for consideration?'', I asked in surprise.

"May doesn't know how to say that. She will only say what the court asks," May's husband said, looking at his wife.

The trial of defendant Moong Thi May ended, everyone felt sympathy for the Khmu girl. That must also be a worrying reality of the current legal awareness of ethnic minorities.

Phuong Thao