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| Injuries on the face of a seven-year-old child allegedly abused by her father and stepmother in southern Kiên Giang Province. – Photo tuoitre.vn |
Viet Nam News
KIÊN GIANG — Police in southern Kiên Giang Province’s Châu Thành District are investigating alleged physical abuse of a seven-year-old girl by her father and stepmother, Colonel Phạm Trung Thành of the Province’s Police Department said.
The statement was made on Thursday, four days after newspapers reported the child was being tortured. They reported that the girl was allegedly abused with a heated iron bar.
Last Friday, the girl was found to have burn marks on her face and arms by a teacher at her school.
The girl admitted that she was hit by her father who used a heated iron bar on her skin.
Her father, Nguyễn Văn Hòa, and stepmother, Trần Thị Kiều Tiên, have denied any wrongdoing, claiming that she had fallen over on a hot grill.
Hòa even accused the teacher of pressuring her to tell lie about the injuries.
Results of the forensic examination showed that the girl had an injury rate of 12 per cent, leading police to separate her from her father and stepmother.
Huỳnh Thị Bích Vân, the girl’s biological mother, said she has been seeking help from lawyers to get proper care for the child. — Quang
