Da Nang authorities deny rumors of foreigner kidnapping schoolgirl

An individual posted on Facebook that “Kidnapping disguised as gift-giving with sedatives. This guy seems to be Cambodian. He put the girl in a taxi, but her father noticed and stopped the car. It happened on Ly Nhat Quang Street in Nai Hien Dong Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang. Share to keep everyone alert.”

This post immediately stirred public concern and was rapidly shared by many other social media accounts.

Authorities promptly launched an investigation and concluded that the kidnapping claim was untrue.

According to a report by the Nai Hien Dong Ward Police, around 9:30 am on Saturday, an altercation occurred on Ly Nhat Quang Street between a Vietnamese person and a foreign national.

Police were dispatched to the scene to work with both parties involved.

Initial findings showed that J.S., a 29-year-old Chinese national temporarily residing at a hotel in Da Nang, had used Facebook to message and get acquainted with a user named "Xuan Huong"—later identified as N.N.T.H., a 13-year-old girl living in Nai Hien Dong Ward.

During their conversation, the two agreed to meet at a café.

After their meeting, J.S. booked a ride-hailing service to return to his hotel. 

While on Ly Nhat Quang Street, he was stopped by the girl's family, leading to a dispute.

The incident did not result in any harm to people or property. 

Following discussions, both parties agreed to a reconciliation and had no further demands.

Later that morning, the Da Nang Police summoned L.T.H., a resident of Nai Hien Dong Ward, the owner of the Facebook account "L.H", to clarify her actions related to live-streaming a video with the caption "child kidnapping."

L.T.H. explained that while on her way to the market, she saw a crowd gathered and, without verifying the situation, quickly live-streamed and posted about a “child kidnapping” incident to alert the public.

D.C.T., also a resident of Nai Hien Dong Ward, who runs the Facebook account "T.P" and uploaded a clip claiming a child had been sedated and kidnapped, admitted that he had not verified the information and had only heard vague details before hastily sharing it online as a warning.