Ms. Vuong's family filed a lawsuit against the hotel and her lover, Ly, demanding compensation of over 620,000 yuan (approximately 2.4 billion dong).
According to Hongxing News on 20/9, the Weifang Intermediate People's Court in Shandong province announced its appellate judgment, rejecting the appeal from Ms. Vuong's family and upholding the original verdict. The initial court had dismissed all compensation claims by the family.
Surveillance camera footage showed that at 2:32 am on 1/2/2025, Ms. Vuong checked into the hotel and paid 189 yuan for the room. Two minutes later, Ly entered the lobby.
After completing registration, the two went up to room 8827 together. Ly left the room at 8:58 am the same day. On 2/2/2025, at 1:07 pm, a housekeeping staff member exited the room; by 1:29 pm, police were on the scene.
In her statement to the police, the housekeeping staff member reported that at approximately 8:30 am on 2/2, she knocked on the door of room 8827 but received no answer. Upon pushing the door open, she saw someone inside, closed the door, and left.
Around 1:00 pm, the housekeeping staff received notification from the front desk that the stay for the guests in room 8827 had expired. She knocked again but still received no response, so she used the floor's key card to open the door. Inside, she discovered Ms. Vuong naked, with two purplish lower legs, and bloodstains on the bedsheet.
The death certificate issued by the police stated that Ms. Vuong died in the hotel room on 2/2/2025. Authorities conducted an external examination of the body and related tests. Based on the investigation results and forensic examination of the scene, the cause of death was consistent with sudden death.
The family did not request an autopsy. Ms. Vuong's body was cremated on 2/3/2025.
Ly testified that he had known Ms. Vuong for three to four years and had an extramarital affair with her. In the early morning of 1/2, after they had been drinking, Ms. Vuong registered for the hotel room. Ly accompanied her into the room but stated they did not have sexual relations.
Around 9:00 am, upon waking, Ly saw Ms. Vuong still vomiting. She said she had drunk too much alcohol. Ly noticed bloodstains on the bedsheet, which Ms. Vuong explained was due to her menstrual cycle not being over. Ly then left.
Ly recounted that he later called Ms. Vuong several times but she did not answer, and his messages received no reply. Believing that Ms. Vuong's husband had discovered the affair, Ly did not return to the hotel to check on her.
The court determined that the hotel did not violate its duty to ensure safety, nor did it infringe upon the guests' rights. The hotel's failure to enter the room to check had no causal relationship with Ms. Vuong's death. Therefore, the hotel was not held responsible for compensation.
Regarding Ly, the court found that after entering the hotel with Ms. Vuong, Ly did not abandon her while she was intoxicated but performed a reasonable duty of care that an ordinary person would. Ms. Vuong's family failed to provide evidence proving that Ly had committed any wrongdoing, infringed upon her rights, or had a causal relationship with her death.
As Ms. Vuong's family could not fulfill their burden of proof, the court rejected their compensation claims.
Tue Anh (according to Hongxing News, City News)
