VietNamNet Bridge – Some dog thieves were beaten to death and their motorbikes were burnt into ashes in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. However, dog thieves still operate blatantly. They carry weapons with them to fight to the end in case they are chased.



Bloodshed!

On October 12, two dog thieves were detected and chased by locals in Nghi Xuan Commune, Nghi Loc District, Nghe An Province. The thieves then stopped to attack a local man with a sword. The victim is Mr. Pham Ba Cay, 51, who suffered a cut on his head.

Local residents surrounded the dog thieves. One of them escaped while the other was beaten to death. This thief is identified as Hoang Cong Hiep, 26, from Nghi Long Commune, Nghi Loc District. The thieves’ motorcycle was also burned.

In another case, at about 6.30am on October 23, two dog thieves were caught in the act in Village 12, Phuc Tho Commune. One thief escaped while the remaining thief, named Pham Van Kieu, 22, was beaten cruelly. With many serious wounds, the thief was brought to a hospital in Hanoi for treatment. Their motorbike was also burned.

Because people are so angry with dog thieves, there is a case that they mistakenly beat innocent people. On the night of September 2, 2011, a teacher named Pham Van Tan in Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province and his colleague visited their friend in Van Thanh commune and lost their way home. They were suspected as dog thieves and were beaten by people of Hamlet 3 in Van Thanh commune.

Thankfully, the commune police intervened in time and took the victims to hospital in a critical situation. The teacher's motorcycle was burned.

In Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province, dog theft also occurs rampantly. In the most typical case, two brothers, Doan Van Hai,46, and Doan Van Nhan, 39, on the night of January 13 went to Truong Quy hamlet in Xuan Truong commune to catch the dog of a local man named Le Dinh Xien.

When they were detected and chased by Xien, they shot him and then kicked his bike. Xien fell and died because of a brain injury.

Soon after that local police arrested the two dog thieves. On September 5, Hai was sentenced 22 years in jail, while Nhan got 14 years in jail for murder and theft of property.

Why people beat dog thieves to death?




According to Nguyen Duy Cau, from Phuc Tho Commune, Nghi Xuan District, Ha Tinh Province, whose two dogs were stolen by thieves, said that the dog is not just property but a member of the family, so when their dogs are caught, many people will be very angry and they are willing to beat dog thieves.

"Most families here have lost their dogs so if they catch a dog thief, they will vent their anger on the thief. They simply think that perhaps this thief caught their dogs and they want to beat him," Cau explained.

Mr. Pham Ba Cay, who was cut on the head with a sword by dog thieves, said: "People have hated dog thieves for a very long time. More repulsively, they are so blatantly. They dare to catch dogs during the daytime and carry knives and swords with them to fight back fiercely."

Pham Ba Cuong, 27, Cay’s son said that people are very angry with dog thieves and they are ready to beat them and burn their vehicles because if dog thieves are handed over to the police, they will be only administratively fined and released while the fine is very modest.

Cao Ba Tuyet, a police officer of Nghi Loc District, Nghe An Province, said that whenever they catch dog thieves, people usually beat them and burn their vehicles because people are too angry with them.

Moreover, their legal awareness is low. They also take advantage of group attack. According to Tuyet, in Nghi Loc District, nobody has been prosecuted for killing dog thieves and burning their vehicles.

Tran Van - Cao Nam