Stepmum allegedly beat girl, 8, to death to 'teach her a lesson'
A woman has been arrested for allegedly beating her fiancé's eight-year-old daughter to death to "teach her a lesson".
Police in Vietnam's largest city Ho Chi Minh City are investigating Nguyen Vo Quynh Trang, 26, for murder.
She is accused of beating the unnamed girl to death in her fiancé's apartment on December 22.
Camera footage seized from the home by police allegedly showed the young woman beat the girl on her arms and legs with wooden sticks over several hours.
She also tied the girl to a chair, according to the police, to "teach her [a] lesson".
The girl fainted and her dad rushed her to hospital. However, she was reportedly dead by the time she arrived.
Her bruises and wounds prompted doctors to call the police, who initially charged Nguyen with abuse.
But she is now facing a murder charge after the victim's mother and her family expressed outrage over the initial charge.
A post-mortem examination determined that the eight-year-old had suffered a hematoma under the skin on her forehead.
Furthermore, the autopsy determined that she had sustained mild cerebral oedema — fluid retention —and broken ribs.
According to police, the alleged crime was carried out with the help of the victim's dad Nguyen Kim Trung Thai, 36.
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Cops say it was not the first time the youngster had been subjected to violence by her dad's fiancee, claiming that she frequently beat the girl and made her do household chores.
The child had been living with her dad and his new partner in their apartment for over a year, ever since her dad got divorced.
The victim's father allegedly tried to delete the camera footage, but he apparently did not manage to do so before the police got their hands on it.
His 26-year-old fiancee also reportedly prevented the youngster from seeing her mum.
The dad, following his arrest, allegedly told police that he knew his partner beat his daughter to "educate" her, and he is now under investigation for concealment of crimes and abuse, local publications report.
Vietnam still employs capital punishment for serious crimes, though it is unclear if the woman faces the death penalty if convicted.
Investigations are ongoing.
Newsflash/Australscope
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