A cafe owner in Dak Lak Province who physically and psychologically tortured a staff member may face up to 14 years in jail.

Nhieu suffers from various injuries

Lawyer Ta Quang Tong, vice head of Dak Lak Bar Association, said if Y Nhieu's reports were proved true then the employer, Nguyen Thi Ha, could be prosecuted. Ha, 39, may also face aggravating factors such as repeated assaults on the victim and two to 14 years of imprisonment, depending on the severity of the injuries.

Tong said the employer should also be charged for deliberately torturing other people which may result in one to three years of imprisonment if the victim suffers from mental illness and severe injuries.

According to the police in Pleiku, Ha is a drug addict and if there is enough evidence, she will be convicted of illegally using drugs and slander for falsely accusing Nhieu of stealing gold and money.

Ha at the police station on July 23

She has been sent to a rehabilitation centre for the use of methamphetamine. Her mental health is unstable and didn't recognise the name of her victim at first. The staff at the rehabilitation centre said this was the heaviest drug-user they had seen in 20 years.

Ha said Nhieu used witchcraft on them. "I didn't beat her, I just dance and sing," she said.

The victim Y Nhieu, 24, said she worked at a cafe since 2014. The employer thought Nhieu was having an affair with her husband and often found an excuse to assault her. In early June, Nhieu was accused of stealing and had an iron put on her hand, her teeth were pulled out and her face was cut.

On July 9-10, she ran away and was discovered unconscious at a roadside by a passer-by.

Tienphong/Dtinews