A woman has been arrested for beating her older fiance’s daughter, 8, to death to “teach her a lesson”.
Police in Vietnam’s largest city Ho Chi Minh City are investigating Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang, 26, for murder.
She is accused of beating the unnamed girl to death in her fiance’s apartment on 22nd December.
Camera footage seized from the home by police showed how the young woman allegedly beat the girl with wooden sticks, as well as with her arms and legs, over several hours.
She also tied the girl to a chair, according to the police, to “teach her [a] lesson”.
The girl was allegedly beaten so badly that she fainted and had to be taken to hospital. However, she was reportedly dead by the time she arrived.
Her bruises and wounds were so severe that doctors called the police, who initially charged the woman with abuse.
But she is now facing a murder charge after the victim’s mother and her family expressed outrage over the initial charge.
The post-mortem also lent credence to the murder accusation, as it was determined that the girl had suffered a haematoma under the skin on her forehead.
Furthermore, the autopsy determined that she had sustained mild cerebral oedema and broken ribs from the alleged beating.
According to the police investigation, the alleged crime was carried out with the connivance of the victim’s father Nguyen Kim Trung Thai, 36.
Cops say it was not the first time the youngster had been subjected to violence by her dad’s fiancee, revealing that she frequently beat the girl and made her do household chores.
She had been living with her dad and his new partner in their apartment for over a year, ever since her dad got divorced.
The victim’s father had tried to delete the incriminating camera footage following the alleged crime, but he apparently did not manage to do so before the cops got their hands on it.
In addition to frequently beating the girl, the woman is also said to have prevented the youngster from seeing her mum.
The dad, following his arrest, admitted to the police that he knew his fiancee beat his daughter to “educate” her, and he is now under investigation for concealment of crimes and abuse.
Vietnam still employs capital punishment for serious crimes, though it is unclear if the woman faces death if convicted.
Investigations are ongoing.
