The Phu Tho Provincial Police said on August 19 that its investigation agency had prosecuted Nguyen Minh Hieu, born in 2003 and residing in Tu Liem Ward, Hanoi, for rape under Clause 1, Article 141 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

The decision followed a complaint from N.T.Q.T., born in 2002, a US citizen currently staying in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Ward.

According to police, the woman alleged that Hieu had non-consensual sexual intercourse with her on July 5, 2026, at apartment SK125 of Lynn Times Thanh Thuy Hotel in Thanh Thuy Commune, Phu Tho Province.

After receiving the complaint on July 21, investigators worked with the complainant, people with knowledge of the incident and other individuals involved to verify the allegations.

On August 17, police formally opened a criminal case and initiated proceedings against Hieu on the rape charge.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Complaint filed more than two weeks after alleged incident

The woman is a US citizen of Vietnamese origin who had returned to Vietnam for an internship at a bank, according to lawyer Le Hong Hien, who represents her legal rights and interests.

Hien said the woman joined a trip to a resort in Phu Tho through a group of people she had recently met.

According to the complaint as described by the lawyer, the group spent an evening eating and socializing together. In the early hours of the following morning, the woman alleged that a young man in the group physically restrained her and forced her to have sex against her will.

The lawyer said she later underwent medical examination and treatment and experienced serious psychological effects following the alleged incident.

Her family subsequently engaged Le Hong Hien Law Firm and Associates to represent and protect her legal rights and interests.

The alleged incident occurred on July 5, but the woman did not formally report it to authorities until July 21.

Hien said the delay of more than two weeks created difficulties in collecting evidence. There was no direct video or audio recording of the alleged incident and no eyewitness, while some potential biological evidence could no longer be collected.

After becoming involved in the case, the lawyers worked with the complainant to reconstruct the sequence of events and organize materials that could still be independently examined.

According to Hien, those materials included messages sent shortly after the alleged incident, medical examination and treatment records, handwritten letters, audio recordings, statements from people connected to the case and other electronic data.

After nearly a month of working with the authorities, the legal team received notification that investigators had opened the criminal case and initiated proceedings against the suspect.

Police seek to counter false information

The case has also triggered misleading claims and the circulation of unrelated images on social media.

Phu Tho Provincial Police said the release of official information was intended to help organizations and the public understand the nature of the case and avoid believing or spreading false information that could affect public order.

Separately, Phu Cuong Group issued a statement after images of a relative of one of its executives were circulated online and falsely linked to the criminal case.

The company said the person pictured was not involved in the case and had no connection to any of the alleged conduct.

Phu Cuong Group said using the image of an unrelated person in connection with a criminal investigation could create false perceptions about that person’s identity and damage the reputation of the individual, their family and the company.

It called on organizations and individuals to remove inaccurate posts and images and to stop publishing, copying or sharing material falsely linking the person to the case.

The company said it was preserving evidence, investigating the source of the misinformation and cooperating with competent authorities to determine the responsibility of those involved in spreading it.

Phu Cuong Group, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, operates a business ecosystem of more than 20 member companies. Its activities include seafood purchasing, processing and exports, as well as real estate, renewable energy, tourism and transportation.

The Phu Tho police investigation into the rape allegation is continuing.

Duc Phong – Duc Hoang – Duy Anh