Ex-husband of victim of "exorcism" arrested for illegal detention

Defendants in the first instance trial in June 2025

Previously, in June 2025, the People's Court of Phan Thiet City (old) opened a first-instance trial for the defendants Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan (born in 1988), Nguyen Thi Hoai Diem (born in 1984); Tran Huu Tinh (born in 1991, all 3 residing in Thien Nghiep Commune, Phan Thiet City, now Mui Ne Ward, Lam Dong Province) and Nguyen Hong Tam (born in 1974, residing in Hong Phong Commune, Ham Thuan Bac District, now Hoa Thang Commune, Lam Dong Province) for the crime of Illegal Detention.

Based on the results of the questioning and debate, the Council decided to return the case file for further investigation to clarify the role of accomplices and signs of other crimes. Specifically, the actions of Nguyen Tu Tin (the victim’s ex-husband) and NTMK (the victim’s sister-in-law) showed signs of complicity in illegally detaining people. In addition, the two defendants Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan and Nguyen Thi Hoai Diem also showed signs of intentionally causing injury, and Nguyen Tu Tin and NTMK showed signs of being accomplices in the case of intentionally causing injury.

The trial panel also requested to re-determine the time frame of each defendant's participation in the illegal detention; clearly identify the mastermind, leader; and accomplices; and re-determine whether the children of the victim NTBD were abused or violated during the time Ms. D was illegally detained or not...

The Police Investigation Agency searched the defendants' house in June 2024.

According to the indictment, from December 4, 2023 to April 15, 2024, believing that Ms. TTBD (born in 1991, permanent residence in Thien Nghiep commune, Phan Thiet city, now Mui Ne ward, Lam Dong province) was infected with "evil spirits", if Ms. D went out, it would harm the people in the family, so Nguyen Thi Hoai Diem and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan (sister-in-law of Ms. D) hired someone to guard the house on Nguyen Phuc Nguyen street, Phan Thiet city (now Phu Thuy ward, Lam Dong province) to ward off "evil spirits". Diem and Lan locked the door and gate of the house to prevent Ms. D from contacting other people and hired Nguyen Hong Tam and son-in-law Tran Huu Tinh to take turns guarding Ms. D from going out or contacting anyone because D was infected with "evil spirits".

From December 4, 2023 to January 14, 2024, Tam and Tinh took turns guarding Ms. D from leaving the house and Tam was paid 2 million VND; Tinh was paid 4.9 million VND.

After Tam and Tinh stopped guarding, Diem and Lan took turns lying in the living room and hallway in front of Ms. D's room to guard her. On April 18, when Lan drove Ms. D to her biological mother's house in Phong Nam commune, Phan Thiet city to get some documents, Ms. D escaped and went to the police station to report the whole incident. The results of the injury assessment showed that Ms. D had a closed fracture of the main nasal bone, a closed fracture of the anterior arch of the 7th and 8th ribs, and multiple injuries... with a body injury rate of 20%.

During the investigation, Diem and Lan did not admit to illegally holding Ms. D and hiring someone to hold D at 86 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen. However, based on the victim's testimony, Tinh and Tam's testimony, and the evidence collected in the case file, there was sufficient basis to conclude that Lan and Diem committed a crime.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/bat-tam-giam-chong-cu-nan-nhan-vu-tru-ta-giu-nguoi-trai-phap-luat-397469.html