VietNamNet Bridge – Police in southern Kien Giang Province’s Chau Thanh District are investigating alleged physical abuse of a seven-year-old girl by her father and stepmother, Colonel Pham Trung Thanh of the Province’s Police Department said.

Injuries on the face of a seven-year-old child allegedly abused by her father and stepmother in southern Kien Giang Province. – Photo tuoitre.vn

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, Nguyen Van Hoa, and stepmother, Tran Thi Kieu Tien, have denied any wrongdoing, claiming that she had fallen over on a hot grill.

Hoa 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.

Huynh Thi Bich Van, the girl’s biological mother, said she has been seeking help from lawyers to get proper care for the child. 

Source: VNS