[Demographic Vietnamization: Criminal Elements] Vietnamese, Dutch nationals sentenced in child torture case

Vietnamese national Nguyen Tangdung pictured last year. Photo supplied

Vietnamese, Dutch nationals sentenced in child torture case

Phnom Penh Post | 13 July 2017

A Vietnamese national was found guilty of torturing and raping a 2-year-old child and sentenced to 18 years in prison in absentia in a Cambodian court on Thursday.

Nguyen Tangdung remains in Vietnamese custody after his Dutch boyfriend, Stefan Struik, encouraged him to flee the country after videos of the abuse went viral on Facebook in December.

For Struik’s role in concealing evidence and failing to report the mistreatment of a child, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of four million riel (about $1,000), according to Mondulkiri Provincial Court spokesman Meas Bros.

Bros added that Tangdung was also sentenced to pay 80 million riel (about $20,000) to the family of the young victim.

The horrific videos capturing Tangdung’s abuse of the toddler made international headlines and shocked Cambodians when they surfaced online last year.

The Child Protection Unit’s James McCabe, who assisted Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities with the investigation, welcomed the sentences.

“The judge has reflected the community outrage at the crime and sentenced the perpetrator accordingly,” McCabe said.

“I can report the victim is recovering well and I thank the Cambodian community for the way they supported him and his family.”