The case of an 8-year-old girl who was abused to death: The father's charges remain unchanged

Accordingly, the supplementary indictment still maintains the prosecution of defendant Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang for the crimes of "Murder", "Torturing others" and defendant Nguyen Kim Trung Thai for the crimes of "Torture others", "Concealing criminals".

The supplementary indictment maintains the original charges against defendant Nguyen Kim Trung Thai for "Torturing others" and "Concealing criminals".

In July 2022, the case was brought to the first instance trial by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court. At the trial, the lawyers protecting the rights and interests of the victim requested additional assessment of the disability rate of child NTVA (the victim in the case) on December 7, 10, 11 and 12, 2021 to clarify the behavior and change the charge against defendant Nguyen Kim Trung Thai to an accomplice with defendant Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang for murder.

The Trial Panel determined that the lawyers' request for additional disability assessment for VA on December 7, 10, 11 and 12, 2021 was well-founded and acceptable. Therefore, the Court decided to return the case file for investigation and additional disability assessment for VA on the above-mentioned dates.

The investigation agency requested the Institute of Criminal Science - Ministry of Public Security in Ho Chi Minh City to conduct an assessment, but this unit refused to conduct an assessment of the injuries of the victim VA on December 7, 10 and 12, 2021, on the grounds that the victim VA's medical records at Vinmec Hospital (Binh Thanh District) did not show the injuries caused during that time.

According to the indictment, Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang had a relationship and lived together as husband and wife with Nguyen Kim Trung Thai at Saigon Pearl apartment building (Nguyen Huu Canh street, ward 22, Binh Thanh district), with NTVA (8 years old, Thai's child with his ex-wife). During their time together, Thai gave his daughter, VA, to Trang to take care of and teach. In October 2021, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, A. stayed home to study online. During the process of tutoring her, Trang repeatedly used rattan sticks, hands, feet, and wooden sticks to beat and torture A., causing many bruises on her body. The indictment shows that there were days when Trang beat VA while she was naked. "Stepmother" Trang even forced VA to crawl into a dog cage, lock her up and kneel inside.

Thai also witnessed Trang beating A. with a whip and stick many times but did not intervene, sometimes even scolding and beating her daughter.

On December 22, 2021, A. was brutally tortured for many hours, leading to her death before being taken to the hospital. After the incident, Thai logged into the camera management application and deleted all data from the 4 cameras in the apartment to conceal Trang's crime.

According to the forensic examination conclusion, authorities determined that baby VA died of acute pulmonary edema and traumatic shock.