Vietnam: Student Charged with Extortion in Classmate's Suicide Case

A 14-year-old student in Vietnam's Lam Dong province has been charged with extortion as authorities investigate a tragic case of a classmate's suicide, which is suspected to be linked to severe school bullying. The accused, identified as N.H.V., allegedly led a group of 13 students who repeatedly assaulted and extorted money from the victim, identified as D.M.H., also 14.

According to the Lam Dong Provincial Police, the group subjected D.M.H. to physical violence between seven and eight times, both in the classroom and on school grounds. Beyond the beatings, N.H.V. and others allegedly threatened D.M.H. and another student, V.Đ.N.M., demanding daily sums of 20,000 to 50,000 Vietnamese dong (approximately $0.80 to $2) for snacks.

D.M.H.'s mother, Tran Kim Van, recounted that her son was forced to collect scrap to meet the daily demands. The prolonged abuse and pressure reportedly caused her son significant fear and trauma, ultimately leading him to hang himself at home on May 16. D.M.H. was found by his family and is currently in a coma at the Children's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Police are also gathering evidence to charge other group members with intentional infliction of injury.

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Every time he came home from school, my son said that every day students forced him to give at least 10,000 dong, and some days they forced him to give 50,000 dong. If he didn't have enough money, it would be added to the next day. Because he didn't have money, my child had to go collect scrap to give to the students. The prolonged beatings and demands for money made my child very scared and seriously traumatized.