Vietnam's former vice sports minister formally charged with child rape
Vietnam has charged a former senior sports official with the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in what reportedly was his attempt to rid himself of bad luck, state-controlled media said Thursday.
Luong Quoc Dung, 52, former vice chairman of the sports ministry, was formally charged Wednesday while at the B14 prison in Hanoi, following a six-month investigation, the official Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper said.
It was unclear when he would be brought to trial. The charge carries a maximum 15-year jail term.
According to the police report, Dung assaulted the girl in a hotel room on Dec. 30 after paying his former mistress, Nguyen Quynh Nga, US$1,000 to procure the girl.
State-controlled media have widely reported that Dung requested the meeting because he was experiencing a spate of bad luck and believed that having sex with a virgin would end that streak.
Nga also has been charged with child rape.
The case has been extensively covered by state media and marked the first time that a high-ranking government official was publicly accused of raping a minor. Numerous articles have run saying the victims' family attempted to drop the case after Dung allegedly paid them US$68,000.
Dung was arrested at his office on Feb. 19, and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai officially fired him March 1, citing "special seriousness of his lawbreaking act."
The Associated Press - August 19, 2004.
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