"Every time I read news about a sexual abuse case, my heart aches," says 47-year-old Ha.
Ha and her husband divorced when Miu, their second daughter, was only 4 months old. The single mother moved with her two daughters from central Vietnam to Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, where she rented a room and sold groceries to make ends meet.
On 30/4/2019, Miu had a day off from school. Ha went to restock her inventory and asked her older daughter to watch the store, while Miu played at home. Upon returning, Ha's older daughter told her that their neighbor, Bay, 54, had entered their room and closed the door. Bay, a motorcycle taxi driver, lived in the same building and usually seemed gentle and hardworking.
Surprised, Ha rushed home and questioned Miu, who recounted Bay's actions. "I was stunned, my legs turned to jelly," Ha recalls.
Trying to stay calm, Ha fed Miu and put her down for a nap. After an afternoon of reflection, she decided to report the incident to the police. The local police advised her to take Miu to the hospital for an examination and then to the forensic center.
 |
Thu Ha in her rented room in Ho Chi Minh City, 10/7/2025. Photo provided by the subject |
Thu Ha in her rented room in Ho Chi Minh City, 10/7/2025. Photo provided by the subject
The next morning, a police officer informed Ha that Bay's family wanted to settle the matter out of court and would come to her place to negotiate if she agreed. "I don't know the extent of my daughter's trauma yet. I demand that the perpetrator be brought to justice," Ha insisted.
Bay's mother and wife came to see Ha, but she refused to meet them.
That same day, the police arrived and took Miu for a forensic examination. Bay's fingerprints were found inside Miu's underwear. He confessed to molesting the child three times. Shockingly, the examination also revealed another man's semen. Miu revealed that two other men had also abused her, besides Bay.
The police requested all suspicious men living near Ha's rented room to undergo forensic testing, but the other perpetrators were not identified.
The pain of Ha's daughter's abuse was compounded by the gossip and scorn of her neighbors. "Leaving the child at home, he only touched her a little, why make such a big deal?" Their whispers infuriated Ha.
After two days of detention and questioning, Bay was released. He would sit in front of Ha's house every day, shaking his leg. Ha would encounter him, the motorcycle taxi driver, everywhere she went. "I was furious, I just wanted to stab him to death," she says.
Realizing she couldn't continue living there, Ha packed up and moved with her daughters.
Fearful that her daughter might be abused again, Ha quit her grocery business. She became even more alarmed when Miu began exhibiting strange behavior, repeatedly touching her private parts with a dazed expression, even in public. Upon questioning, Ha discovered that the perpetrators had not only abused Miu but also given her candy, suspected to be an aphrodisiac.
Ha's ex-husband reacted angrily to her decision to prosecute, claiming she was "ruining the child's future."
Under pressure from all sides, Ha wondered, "Am I wrong?"
During this dark period, Ha was introduced to lawyer Tran Thi Ngoc Nu from the Ho Chi Minh City Child Protection Association. "She supported my children and me both materially and emotionally, encouraging me to pursue the case to the end because 'silence is complicity’," Ha explains.
Lawyer Ngoc Nu referred Ha and Miu to the OBV (Bridge of Hope House) for sexually abused children, which helps children stabilize psychologically and addresses other related issues. Nu supported Ha throughout the investigation.
According to Nu, this was the most complicated sexual abuse case she had assisted with legally in over 10 years. "The mother sued one man, but discovered her child had been abused by several others, yet there wasn't enough evidence to identify the other perpetrators," she says.
Nu believes Ha's greatest strength was her understanding, morality, and sense of justice. In many other cases, mothers might have chosen to ignore the abuse for a peaceful life.
While pursuing the case, Ha also had to take her daughter to and from school, over 17 km from their home. This continued for six months before Miu adjusted to the new school.
Six months after the abuse, the perpetrator was sentenced. Camera footage, the victim's testimony, and forensic evidence forced Nguyen Van Bay to plead guilty. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison for child molestation.
"The law is always on the side of justice. Even a poor, single mother like me can find justice," says Ha.
From her experience, Ha advises parents with young children not to be complacent about letting their children interact with others. If a child is sexually abused, parents must fight to prevent the perpetrator from repeating the act with another child. Once they decide to report the crime, parents should not accept out-of-court settlements but should dedicate their time and effort to seek justice.
While pursuing her daughter's case, Ha discovered that Bay had previously molested another child. "If that family had spoken up, if the story had been widely known, he wouldn't have dared to re-offend, or parents like me would have known who he was and kept their children away from him.
After four years at a school for children traumatized by sexual abuse, Miu, now 11, returned home and integrated well into her surroundings. Ha has also regained her composure and reopened her shop. Their lives are gradually returning to normal.
However, recently, as Miu enters puberty, she has started to show signs of fear towards strangers. Ha is worried that this might be a result of the trauma from six years ago. But she hopes that with the support of her teachers, mother, and older sister, Miu will overcome her past trauma.
*Names have been changed.
Pham Nga
