The story of a mountain girl who was sold to marry a foreigner twice

The humiliating life of a girl sold at the age of 14

Early one morning in late April, Xeo Thi Na (residing in Bao Nam commune, Ky Son district) and her parents appeared at the People’s Court of Nghe An province. Na came to court as a victim in a child trafficking case. With her small, thin figure, no one would have thought that the 21-year-old girl had gone through so much hardship because she was tricked and sold when she was in 7th grade.

Recalling the incident that happened 7 years ago, Na's face showed clear sadness. She said that at that time she was in 7th grade but seeing the difficult family situation, she wanted to go to the South to work at a company. Her parents also agreed with that and contacted her uncle, Cut Pho Thuan (37 years old, living in Bao Nam commune, Ky Son district) to help her find a job.

The victim claimed he was deceived and recounted his life in a foreign land. Photo: Tran Vu

Around July 2016, during a drinking session, Thuan discussed the issue of finding a job for his grandchild with Xeo Van Dau (29 years old, residing in Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district). At this time, Dau asked Thuan whether that family agreed to let their daughter go to China to get married. However, when Thuan mentioned that, Na's parents did not agree.

Thuan did not give up but then called his sister-in-law, Cut Thi Bong (28 years old, residing in Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district), who was living in China, to ask about bringing people to China to sell. Bong promised to bring them and said that if the family agreed, she would receive 100 million VND.

Two days later, taking advantage of the time when Na's parents were away, Thuan and Dau came to Na's house to invite the 14-year-old girl to work for the company. Thinking it was real, Na agreed to go without telling her parents. After that, Dau took Na to Mong Cai (Quang Ninh). From here, both of them were asked by Bong's people to pick them up and take them to China. Only then did the girl realize she had been tricked.

The young girl recounted that after a period of staying at Cut Thi Bong’s husband’s house, she was sold to a Chinese man to be his wife. However, according to the victim, because they were “not compatible”, after only a month of living together, she asked Bong to free her. At this time, Bong continued to sell Na to another man.

“When I lived with my second husband, they did not let me go out. I had to stay home to take care of my elderly parents-in-law and was forced to give birth to their children. Being young affected my health. Moreover, the language and cultural differences and the house arrest made me always have the intention of escaping back to Vietnam,” Na said about the time she was tricked and sold.

In 2018, after giving birth to a child, Na lied to her husband’s family and asked to go home to visit and ran away. Before returning home, she had to leave her baby with her husband.

Some time later, the victim filed a complaint with the police against the subjects who had sold her. The investigation agency determined that at the time of being sold to China, the victim Xeo Thi Na was only 14 years and 5 months old. The three defendants Cut Thi Bong, Cut Pho Thuan, and Xeo Van Dau were prosecuted and brought to trial for the crime of Child Trafficking.

Mother received sentence with her baby crying

Before entering the courtroom, defendant Cut Thi Bong hurriedly took off the sling and put it on her husband’s shoulder. The big man took the baby, about 4 months old, and put it in the sling, hanging it on his hip. Bong entered the courtroom while her husband carried the baby around the courtroom hallway.

Defendant Bong testified that Thuan asked him to take Na to China to sell her. “Thuan said that Na’s parents agreed to take her to China to sell her to a husband,” defendant Bong testified, as the child’s cries echoed in the courtroom. Perhaps the child was hungry for milk, so he kept crying despite his father’s every attempt to comfort her.

The three defendants Cut Thi Bong, Cut Pho Thuan, and Xeo Van Dau at the trial. Photo: Tran Vu

Meanwhile, the victim and his parents insisted that the family had not agreed to sell their children to China. The victim followed Thuan and Dau because they believed that Thuan and Dau were going to the South to work for a company. However, the victim also asked the jury to reduce the sentence for the defendants and did not request compensation.

The defendants confessed that in this case, Bong received 6 million VND, Thuan received 2 million VND, and Dau received 3 million VND. Having the last word, the defendants asked for leniency from the law.

When the jury deliberated, the defendant Bong hurriedly went out, took the crying child from her husband, turned to the wall to breastfeed the child. The baby took the mother's breast, his eyes were full of tears, and opened wide. Before the baby had time to drink the milk, the court came in to announce the verdict.

After assessing the role and position of each defendant, the panel sentenced Cut Thi Bong to 10 years and 6 months in prison, the prison term calculated from the time the defendant was arrested to serve the sentence; the two defendants Cut Pho Thuan and Xeo Van Dau each received a sentence of 10 years in prison.

Having been released on bail because her child was still young, Bong returned to her hometown to await the day of execution. Receiving her crying child from her husband, Bong let out a sigh.

Tran Vu