On 7/1, the People's Court Area 2, Hanoi, sentenced Dang Chi Thanh, 31, residing in Bach Mai ward, to the aforementioned penalty for disturbing public order, under clause 1, Article 318 of the Penal Code.

The Trial Panel determined that the defendant's actions were socially dangerous and caused public outrage, necessitating a period of isolation from society for deterrence and general prevention. The court considered that the defendant committed the offense for the first time and had paid 50 million VND to remedy the consequences of the case, which served as grounds for a reduced sentence.

The trial was initially scheduled for 26/12/2025 but was postponed due to the absence of all three defense lawyers for Thanh.

Defendant Dang Chi Thanh. Photo: Danh Lam

During today's hearing, the Procuracy maintained its indictment, stating that at approximately 10 p.m. on 4/8, in the apartment complex playground, Thanh's wife and a female resident had a dispute and argued about child supervision, which led to the other woman's child hitting Thanh's child.

When the woman refused to apologize as requested, Thanh's wife called her husband. Thanh went down to the playground, saw the two women arguing, and intervened. Upon returning home, after hearing his wife recount being insulted and their child being slandered, Thanh became agitated and sought to confront the neighbor. Five days later, Thanh saw the woman in the apartment complex lobby and demanded an apology, but she refused and walked away.

The prosecuting agency accused Thanh of pursuing the woman near the elevator doors, where "due to frustration from being disrespected" and not receiving an apology, he slapped her and repeatedly kicked and punched her. In front of many witnesses, Thanh verbally abused and threatened to kill the victim and her child with "thug-like" language. A video of Thanh's actions subsequently circulated on social media, leading to his emergency arrest the following day.

The incident was recorded by a camera in the apartment complex. Photo: Cut from video

In court today, Thanh testified that he was frustrated when the neighbor said, "no one wants to play with your child," leading to an exchange of words. The next day, upon encountering her again, Thanh stated he asked, "Do you have anything to say to my wife and child?" The woman replied "no," which provoked Thanh to assault her. Thanh admitted to being stressed by family issues and added that the victim had also called her family members, who then shouted insults. "Seeing many people arrive, the defendant lost his composure and loudly cursed back," Thanh explained.

Conversely, the victim's family representative stated there was no prior conflict between the two sides and their child had not hit Thanh's child. Thanh admitted to using "thug-like" language while assaulting the victim, but claimed it was merely a slip of the tongue and he had no intention of killing her as threatened. During the trial, Thanh acknowledged his wrongdoing, affirming that no one incited or encouraged him when he assaulted the victim.

In his final statement, Thanh said he "had little social interaction, so his awareness was limited" but sufficient to understand that assaulting someone is against the law. The defendant apologized to the victim's family and the community for his actions, which had negatively impacted many people. "The defendant acted out of love for his wife and concern for his child. My wife is pregnant and receiving treatment for depression," Thanh stated, asking for an early release to support his family.

Hai Thu - Pham Du