"When Dad drinks alcohol, he often beats his children."
On the morning of October 20th, a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper spoke with HTNL (11 years old, a 5th grade student at Co Dam Primary School, Co Dam commune, Ha Tinh province) while she was being treated at Vinh General Hospital (Nghe An province) for abuse by her stepfather.
Child L. is currently receiving treatment at Vinh General Hospital.
PHOTO: PHAM DUC
Sitting on the hospital bed, L. appeared to be in great pain from the wounds on her head, arms, and legs. For over a day, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong (the mother of L.'s stepfather) has been constantly caring for L.
L. recounted that at around 10 PM on October 18th, Nguyen Van Nam (31 years old, L.'s stepfather) came home from drinking at his mother's house and asked if her grandmother had come to visit.
"I told my dad I wasn't home so I didn't know. He said, 'Then why didn't Grandma come over to visit and know we were slaughtering a chicken?' Then he hit me with a hammer for lying. He hit me on the head until I bled, and also hit my arms and legs. I was in pain but didn't dare scream because I was scared. At that time, my mom was at her parents' house in Son La , so it was just me and my dad at home," L. recalled.
Child L. was hit on the head and required many stitches.
PHOTO: PHAM DUC
L. said that it wasn't until the next morning, after her stepfather had gone to work, that she opened the window and called out to the neighbors for help.
"My dad locked the door so I couldn't go outside. The neighbors then called my dad back to open the door so they could take me to the commune's health station. After that, my homeroom teacher took me to the hospital for treatment. I don't want to stay with my dad anymore. I just want to go live with my grandmother," L. said, her voice choked with emotion.
According to L., this wasn't the first time she had been beaten by her stepfather. "When Dad drinks alcohol, he often beats me. When he's not drunk, he beats me less, but when he does, he beats me more. Last year, he used an electrical wire to beat me, leaving me covered in injuries, and the police summoned me," L. said.
Child abuse case in Ha Tinh: Stepfather arrested.
"I'm her mother, but I'm still scared."
Ms. Tran Thi Huong (Nam's mother) said that, the couple She gave birth to three children, Nam being the second. "Nam got married and already has a child from a previous relationship, L. I've always treated L. like my own granddaughter, without any discrimination. Besides L., Nam and his wife have two children together. After moving out, L. helps her parents take care of her younger siblings and does housework every day. She's very well-behaved and hardworking," Mrs. Huong said.
L. has many healed wounds on her body from being beaten by her stepfather.
PHOTO: PHAM DUC
According to Ms. Huong, she married a husband who drank heavily and frequently beat her and her children. During their marriage, her husband had affairs with several other women, living with them as if they were his wives. Currently, her husband is living with a woman from Nghe An province.
"Since he was little, Nam was brutally beaten by his father many times. Perhaps the abuse from his father affected his psychology. Every time there was a family conflict, Nam would become aggressive, beating both me and my younger sister. Even though I'm his mother, I'm still very scared and can't reason with him. Last year, he beat up my niece L. and the police summoned him for a warning," Mrs. Huong said, her voice choked with emotion.
Ms. Huong also stated that she only learned that her son had beaten L. after the neighbors took her to the commune's health station for treatment.
"I love my granddaughter very much, but I don't know what to do. Now I just hope the police will take some measures to help Nam come to his senses. I also advised my daughter-in-law to send L. to her maternal grandparents' house. Currently, my daughter-in-law is visiting her hometown because her father is sick. Since yesterday, her maternal family has also called to inquire about L.'s health," Mrs. Huong shared.
According to a doctor at Vinh General Hospital (Nghe An province), patient L. was brought to the hospital with multiple open wounds on her head and bruises on her back, buttocks, thighs, and legs. Upon admission, the patient appeared frightened and reluctant to interact with others.
"The patient had three open wounds on his head, two of which were small and shallow on the crown, while the wound on the occipital region was larger and deeper. The wound edges were jagged, suspected to be caused by a hard object. We treated them, stitching seven wounds on the head. The child's health is gradually recovering," the doctor reported.
Doctors also noted numerous bruises on patient L's body. In addition, the child had many old, faded, healed wounds. The child stated that the injuries were caused by abuse from her stepfather.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vu-be-gai-o-ha-tinh-bi-bao-hanh-bo-dung-bua-danh-con-185251020104600.htm
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