Three-year-old Trinh Nguyen Thanh Duc and his five-year-old brother, Trinh Nguyen Thanh Dat, lived with their grandmother in District 7, HCM City. Their father is still in prison and their mother, Trinh Thi Tuyet No, is employed at a small bakery, earning very little money. Because her wages could not support the family they asked their children to beg on the streets. His 15-year old uncle, Trinh Dac Hoa, has been accused of repeatedly beating the boys if they did not bring home enough.
Other locals said that the grandmother told Hoa to ban the boys from coming back home the house if they did not have sufficient money.
On October 23, Duc was sent to Children's Hospital 2 after he was beaten by Hoa and his friend Cuong, but were still sent home after the incident on a promise of not repeating it. Tan Hung Ward paid the hospital fees and allowed them to go. However, they did not keep this promise.
Hoa said he was angry when Duc refused his order to beg strangers for money. "I used a 50cm stick to beat him. I slapped and kicked his eyes while Cuong used cigarettes to burn the boy three times. Another relative in the house heard Duc's cries, came in and told me to stop. After that I and Cuong went out to play computer games," he admitted with the police.
Wounds on Duc's legs
On October 29 night, a young man named Q. discovered a battered Duc wandering on the street so he took the boy to police.
Since, the mother has taken the boy from the police and fled. Authorities are trying to find them to provide assistance.
Beaten Duc with mother
Nguyen Trong An, deputy head of the Department of Child Care and Protection, said they have asked the local Department of Labours, Invalids and Social Affairs to deal with this case rapidly and report to the Ministry of Labours, Invalids and Social Affairs.Many local people have also said that the mother should not be raising the two boys and that authorities should fine Hoa and his friend Cuong and punish him for abusing children.
However, lawyer Nguyen Van Truong said, "Local authorities and related agencies should persuade the mother to let those boys stay at social institutions. Another solution is to support them financially. Because Hoa is only 15-years old they can only send him to a detention centre if he repeats the offence."
