Vung Tau molestation case: Appeal to overturn verdict, temporary suspension of presiding judge

A source from the High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City said on May 17 that the court's leadership had signed a decision to appeal the final judgment of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial People's Court's criminal appeal verdict against Mr. Nguyen Khac Thuy for child molestation.

Defendant Nguyen Khac Thuy at trial

Annulment of the appeal judgment

Accordingly, the decision to appeal the final judgment of the High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City requested the Judicial Committee of the High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City to annul the appellate judgment of the People's Court of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and request a retrial in accordance with the law.

This is a long-standing case that has received special attention from the public because the person accused of child molestation is a former senior bank employee. The subjects that defendant Thuy molested were children living in an apartment building in Vung Tau City.

The first instance verdict accused defendant Thuy of sexually abusing THA (born 2003) in an apartment in this apartment complex and sentenced defendant Thuy to 3 years in prison. Immediately after receiving the sentence, this defendant appealed, claiming his innocence.

At the appeal hearing, the panel of judges determined that these accusations were baseless and lacked solid evidence, although the representative of the People's Procuracy at the same level, who held the right to prosecute at the trial, requested to maintain the original sentence because there was sufficient basis to convict defendant Thuy.

However, the panel of judges partially accepted defendant Thuy's appeal and sentenced her to 18 months in prison and suspended the sentence because the court determined that the defendant only committed obscene acts with NNAD (born 2008).

The panel of judges in the appeal hearing of the case - Photo: TL

Temporarily suspend the presiding judge

Immediately after the verdict was announced, it caused a wave of public outrage because many opinions said that the above sentence was not a deterrent for the defendant.

Therefore, the Supreme People's Court has directed to withdraw the case for review and if there is sufficient basis, to appeal for a final judgment.

Meanwhile, some litigation experts assert that there is a lack of basis to impose a suspended sentence on defendant Nguyen Khac Thuy.

On May 16, the High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City withdrew the case for review and on May 17, this court issued a decision to appeal for final judgment.

Regarding the incident, the Supreme People's Court leader has directed the Chief Justice of the People's Court of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province to temporarily suspend the work of the presiding judge of the trial for a meeting and review.

The presiding judge and the judges in the panel of judges must all give explanations to assess the responsibility of each person in the adjudication of the above-mentioned appellate judgment.

It is known that the judge presiding over the appeal hearing is Huynh Ngoc Thien.