Vietnam - Domestic child abuse is rising

VietNamNet Bridge – Child abuse takes place in not only remote areas, where the living standard and intellectual standards are low, but also in big cities.

Child abuse cases are getting serious and rise in both number and the seriousness. However, the most painful fact is many brutal abuse cases were committed by parents or relatives of victims. Forms of abuse vary, from scolding to beating, even torture methods of the Middle Ages.

In the latest case, a 13-year-old boy named Chau Van Thien Phuc in the central province of Ninh Thuan was bound by chain and cruelly assaulted on June 1, the International Children’s Day. Looking at wounds on the boy’s body, people were stunned by the savage action of the boy’s parents.

Earlier, a 10-year-old girl named Diem Quynh in Hanoi was hospitalized for emergency aid after she was beaten by her father, Dang Quoc Hung.

Another child who was brutally assaulted by his father is Bui Xuan Thuan, 10, in the northern port city of Hai Phong. The boy’s mother died when he was six. His father, Bui Xuan Phong left home since then. Thuan and his brother were brought up by their grandmother.

Phong returned home after several years, with his new wife. Thuan left his grandmother’s home to live with his father. Since then the boy suffered from a terrible period of time.

The cruel father forced the child to be naked and used electric wire with bronze core to whip him. He even forced the boy to eat feces.

On November 16, 2011, The People’s Court of Thanh Hoa province sentenced Vu Van Quang, 31, 20 years in jail for murder. This man poured petrol on his 3-year-old boy named Linh and burned him in April 2011.

According to a report of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of child abuse case rises year on year, with 3,000 in 2009 and up to more than 7,000 in 2011. However, the numbers are surely higher because many cases were not detected.

Terrified child abuse cases have shaken the public. People question why are there more parents who treat their children so brutal?

Notably, child abuse cases were mainly discovered and reported to police by neighbors or the media. Victims did not dare to denounce their cases to the police. For example, a 9-year-old boy named Phuc Kien in Ninh Thuan province was assaulted for two years by his father but he tried to sustain until his neighbors detected and reported to the local authorities. After getting drunk, the father whipped his child, tore the boy’s clothes, even beat his hands and legs broken.

Child abuse is considered as a reason that makes the increase of child criminals.

According to statistics of the People’s Supreme Procuracy in 2008, 71 percent of juveniles broke the law because of lacking family’s caring. Around 8 percent of child criminals came from break-up families. Some 49 percent of them complained of their parents’ treatment.

In this situation, a question must be answered: what is the role of social organizations in protecting children?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh, a sociologist, said that Vietnamese people have been braver in denouncing child abuse but education on children’s rights and protection must be sped up.

Mr. Tran Quoc Thuan, former Vice Chair of the National Assembly Office, said that punishment is important to prevent child abuse, but it is more important to educate and change the awareness of each individual and each family on child protection and children’s rights.

Mr. Bui Quang Hung, a commune official in Nghe An province, said that Vietnamese people’s popular conception is “spare the rod and spoil the child” so they thought that it is normal to scold or beat their children. Because of this misconception, local authorities face difficulties in dealing with domestic child abuse.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Hai, from the Agency for Caring and Protecting Children, said that state budget for caring and protecting children is low, less than VND100 billion ($5 million) for 23 million kids a year. The state funding, thus, only focuses on education and healthcare for children.

Mai Lan

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