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Prostitution trial suspended in southern Vietnam after defendant hits head, faints

HANOI - A prostitution trial in southern Vietnam was suspended after a defendant hit his head three times on a wooden railing and fainted, a court official said Friday.

Pham Huy Cuong was treated at General Hospital in Ba Ria Vung Tau province and returned to police custody after Thursday's incident, Judge Hoang Thanh Tung said. Cuong, who is charged with brokering prostitution, was standing before the judge to say his final words before the verdict was announced when he declared his innocence, then hit his forehead on the wooden railing three times and fainted, Tung said.

Court is expected to resume on Monday. Friday's Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported that the proceeding, involving 11 defendants, was the biggest prostitution trial in the history of the province 78 miles east of Ho Chi Minh City. It was originally scheduled to last two days, but was extended into Thursday because most of the defendants complained they were forced by investigators to confess their crimes, the paper reported.

The Associated Press - June 12, 2003