Mother and children receive compensation for wrongful imprisonment

Nguyễn Thị May (pictured) was wrongfully detained for a murder  三 四 years ago. Photo: nld.com.vn

CAO BẰNG — Three people in the northern province of Cao Bằng wrongly detained for a murder  三 四 years ago have been set compensation totalling VNĐ 五 billion (US$ 二 一 三, 四00) by the local legal authority.

According to the People’s Court of Cao Bằng Province, the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 has agreed to pay the money for the unjust incarceration of Nguyễn Thị May,  八 五, and her two children, all residing in Cao Bằng City.

The three individually spent between two and  二 二 months in jail and have been fighting to clear their names for over  三0 years.

The settlement is to compensate for the family’s emotional trauma, loss in income, attorney expenses, and travel expenses to voice their protest over the past  三 四 years.

May will be paid VNĐ 一. 五 billion, Trần Ngọc Hùng (May’s son) will receive VNĐ 二 billion, and Trần Thị Nga (May’s daughter) VNĐ 一. 五 billion.

According to the case files, on the evening of February  七,  一 九 八 八, Lieutenant Lê Danh Tân from the Cao Bằng Province Military Co妹妹and, during his paid leave, asked to stay the night at May’s house. At around  四am the next day, Lieutenant Tân was found dead in a pit.

In March  一 九 八 八, the Military Procuracy of Cao Bằng Province (now the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一) prosecuted Trần Ngọc Hùng for murder. Two months later, May and her daughter Trần Thị Nga were also prosecuted.

In March  一 九 九 一, the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 suspended the prosecution against May and her children due to a lack of evidence.

May was released after five months of wrongful detainment, Hùng after  二 二 months, and Nga after two months.

However, May did not receive any documents from the authority confirming her and her family’s innocence, so she sent petitions everywhere voicing their protest and asking for compensation.

In May  二0 二0, the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 refuted the application, citing a lack of basis for the requested compensation. May protested, but the agency maintained its stance.

In October  二0 二 一, May and her children decided to sue the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一, requesting that the People’s Court of Cao Bằng province order the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 to apologise publicly and adequately compensate their family. May initially asked for a sum of VNĐ 一 五 billion, adjusted to VNĐ 一0 billion afterwards.

After a meeting organised by the court, the two parties agreed to the reimbursement compensation terms and final sum.

The Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 said the compensation would be paid i妹妹ediately after securing funding.

Regarding the family’s request for restoration of their honour, the Military Procuracy of Military Region  一 will issue a public apology and rectification notice in Cao Bằng newspaper and will reissue the document on suspension of the detainment of Nga and her children. — VNS