The sad life story of a misguided child.

(Baonghean) - Born to a mother with mental illness, Hung doesn't even know who his father is. Hung's childhood was filled with hardship, sadness, and deprivation. His maternal grandfather was old and frail, and his maternal grandmother was ill, so Hung grew up like a weed. And then, before he even had a chance to grow up, Hung became entangled in legal troubles…

Among the 16 defendants on trial in the murder case that took place on April 15th, I paid particular attention to defendant Le Huu Hung (born July 15, 1998), a child who grew up in the Quynh Lap Central Leprosy and Dermatology Hospital's dormitory. Hung was small and frail, dwarfed by his accomplices. When asked to stand in the dock for questioning, Hung was only slightly taller than the dock. The thin, dark-skinned boy honestly answered the court's questions. Occasionally, he glanced back, to where his maternal grandfather, his only remaining relative, was present in court. His grandfather, with the gnarled hands of a leprosy patient, trembled as he held a plastic bag. Inside were all of Hung's documents, which were actually just his birth certificate with the father's name left blank.

Hung's path to crime is truly heartbreaking. On the evening of July 18, 2013, as Hung was strolling along the sand, a group of friends sped past on their motorbikes. One of them urged Hung to join them in attacking a group of young men from Quynh Loc who were sitting on the beach. Hung had no animosity towards them, nor did he know who the Quynh Loc youths were, but he followed his friends. Along the way, a friend gave Hung a eucalyptus stick. Upon encountering the Quynh Loc youths, Hung's friends attacked them. Hung also grabbed his stick and charged in. Hung's blow struck one of the Quynh Loc youths in the shoulder. The other group scattered, and Hung's group chased after them. When they returned, one of the Quynh Loc youths had been beaten to death by Hung's friends. Although he did not directly cause the victim's death, because he participated in the brawl from the beginning, Hung was prosecuted for murder. At the time of the crime, Le Huu Hung was not yet 15 years old, so he was only subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from leaving his place of residence.

Defendant Hung before the court.

Having settled in a leprosy colony, Mr. Le Huu Trung – Hung's maternal grandfather – rarely went outside, so he was quite nervous and awkward in the courtroom. In a weak, labored voice, he recounted the unfortunate fate of his poor daughter and his miserable grandson. Because he contracted leprosy, he left his hometown in Thanh Hoa province and went to the Quynh Lap leprosy colony very early on, where he married a woman in the same condition. They had two children, but their first died young, leaving Hung's mother as their only support in their old age. Ironically, their daughter grew up without wisdom. A mental illness struck, and she left home and disappeared. When she returned, she was visibly pregnant. When asked who the father of the child was, she could only look up at the sky and laugh hysterically. No one knew who the father was. Knowing that further questioning wouldn't reveal anything to his daughter, he could only pray to God and Buddha, hoping his grandchild would be born healthy and strong. Then his daughter gave birth, a violent and unconscious labor. Hung was born healthy and completely normal. His daughter's condition worsened, so he had no choice but to send her back to Thanh Hoa province for treatment…

From then on, he took over raising his unfortunate grandson from his daughter. The elderly couple, riddled with illness, could only survive on the meager government allowance for leprosy patients, and now they had to care for their grandson. They struggled to make ends meet, and Hung grew up like a weed. Now he knew how to help his grandparents with household chores. Before he could even rejoice, disaster struck. His grandson was accused of murder! Someone suggested that to get Hung's sentence reduced, he should take money to the victim's family to compensate them and ask for their mercy. But where would he get the money to give them when he didn't even own a piece of land?

Accompanying his grandson to the court, he didn't even have 100,000 dong in his pocket. At lunchtime, while waiting for the afternoon trial, he quickly found a secluded corner in the courthouse grounds and ate a packet of instant noodles with relish. When questioned by the court as the legal guardian of the defendant, Le Huu Hung, he held out his gnarled hands, saying, "A child's folly is the parents' burden. He was born without knowing his father. Having a mother is like not having one at all. These two old people don't have much time left, and Hung is still so young. If they ask me to compensate, I don't know what I'll get." Then he turned his pleading eyes to the victim's parents. He rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a few bills. He folded the small change, planning to use it for the bus fare home later. He gave the remaining 300,000 dong that someone had given him earlier, saying, "This is all I have; please accept it."

The courtroom fell silent. Somewhere, a sob could be heard. Hung bowed his head, seemingly crying… The victim’s parents shook their heads vigorously: “Please keep it, we won’t make our son pay any compensation.” But he still tried to give it back, as if he feared that if he didn’t give the remaining few hundred thousand dong, they wouldn’t take pity on him and would ask the court to sentence his son to a harsher punishment… The victim’s parents still refused to accept it. The mother was crying, unable to control her emotions. Her eldest son stood up and spoke on her behalf. Knowing they weren’t asking for compensation but only for criminal prosecution, he didn’t understand the implications, but his face relaxed as if a heavy burden had been lifted… His wife, suffering from terminal liver cancer, was bedridden at home.

At the time of the crime, Le Huu Hung was a minor, only playing the role of an accomplice and not directly causing the victim's death. Furthermore, the victim's family also submitted a request for leniency for Hung. Considering the defendant's sincere confession, first-time offense, good character, and family circumstances, the court sentenced Le Huu Hung to 30 months in prison but suspended the sentence. After the verdict was announced, the grandfather and grandson hurried out of the courthouse hand in hand to catch the last bus. Nearly 80 years old, the grandfather's life was like a lamp hanging in the wind, uncertain when it would go out. Would the child be able to stand firm in life without his protection?

Khang Hoa