On August 15, the Family and Juvenile Court of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court will hold the first-instance trial of Giap Thi Song Huong (51), owner of Hoa Hong Shelter, along with three co-defendants, for “torturing others” in connection with serious child abuse allegations at the facility. The trial will be held behind closed doors, presided over by Judge Quach Thanh Binh, Deputy Chief Judge of the Family and Juvenile Court.
The case came to light on September 4, 2024, after Thanh Nien newspaper published an investigative series titled “Crimes Inside a Shelter”, exposing the Hoa Hong Shelter as a “living hell” for nearly 100 children in its care — including infants and orphans.
Authorities allege that caregivers, including Nguyen Thi Ngoc Cam (47), Diep Ngoc Tuyen (48), and Trang My Nhanh (72), committed repeated acts of physical abuse. Incidents included a 7-month-old baby being sat on and pinched, a child suffering mouth injuries after being struck, and others being lifted and thrown onto mattresses.
Hoa Hong Shelter, operating under a July 2023 license from the former District 12 Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, was officially registered to care for 39 disadvantaged children. However, during inspections on September 4, 2024, authorities found 86 children living there. All were immediately relocated to public social protection centers for medical checkups and continued care.
The shelter’s operating license has since been revoked.
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