Hanoi police charge stepfather with murder in death of 4-year-old girl

The Hanoi police investigation agency under the municipal Department of Public Security on Thursday issued a decision to launch criminal proceedings against a case in which Nguyen Minh Hiep, a resident of Ninh Binh Province, was accused of abusing the child, who died while suffering injuries assessed at 99 percent of her body.

Police are also reviewing the role of the girl’s mother, Ban Thi Tam, a 20-year-old resident of Tuyen Quang Province, for handling in accordance with the law.

According to investigators, the victim, identified as B.T.H., was admitted to Hanoi’s E Hospital at about 6:00 pm on May 3 in a state of cardiac arrest and deep coma, with multiple bruises covering her body.

A preliminary forensic examination concluded that the child had sustained bodily injuries amounting to 99 percent.

Despite efforts by doctors to save her, the girl died on Wednesday afternoon due to the severity of her injuries.

Initial findings showed that Hiep had been living with Tam in a rented room in Phu Dien Ward as husband and wife.

The victim, Tam’s daughter from a previous relationship, had been living with the couple since March.

Police said the abuse intensified on the morning of May 3 after the child was slow to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Hiep forced the girl to wear a five-liter water container around her neck as punishment.

Both Hiep and Tam repeatedly slapped the child in the face.

The girl reportedly became frightened and lost control of her bodily functions.

Hiep and Tam then struck her in the face with sandals, causing her to fall to the floor.

After briefly cleaning the child, Hiep took Tam, who is pregnant, to a prenatal check-up, leaving the four-year-old alone in the rented room.

Later that afternoon, when they returned and found the girl eating snacks, Tam accused her daughter of taking food without permission and repeatedly beat her in the head and face with a sandal.

The child again lost control of her bodily functions after the beating.

Tam continued slapping her and forced her to wash herself in the bathroom.

Hiep later discovered the child playing and getting dirty in the bathroom, so he verbally abused and assaulted her again.

Tam witnessed the abuse but did not intervene.

When they found that H. was no longer responsive, Hiep and Tam attempted first aid before calling emergency services.

At the police station, Hiep and Tam admitted to repeatedly abusing H. for one month.

The assaults reportedly occurred every two to three days.

They used various objects such as sandals, brooms, dustpan handles, and clothes hangers to beat the girl.

In addition to physical abuse, the two forced the child to wear a heavy bottle of water around her neck and deprived her of food and drink.

In particular, from May 1 to May 3, H. was reportedly starved.