Family appeals light sentencing for former air force major in dead daughter's accident

The deceased girl's father, Ho Hoang Hung, on Thursday said he filed the appeal regarding the sentence given out by the Military Court of Area 2, Military Zone 5 in the Khanh Hoa Province city of Nha Trang, which gave former air force major Hoang Van Minh only 14 months in jail for traffic violations earlier this month.

In the appeal to the court in the central coastal province, Hung said the original sentencing did not reflect the severity and consequences of Minh's crime. Hung argued the punishment was too light and was "not appropriate for Minh's behaviors." Hung said more severe sentencing would be necessary to show the strength of the "hammer of the law."

Hung also said that the fact prosecutors had at one time suspended the case due to the defense team’s "providing of false documents or giving false statements" regarding Minh’s wife and uncle was inappropriate and showed signs that the trial had missed some crimes involved in the case.

As such, Hung has requested the court of appeal to revisit the case and hand out a harsher sentence to Minh.

Earlier this month, Minh, 37, was sentenced by the Military Court of Area 2, Military Zone for traffic violations. He was also ordered to compensate the girl's parents with VND245 million (US$10,094).

The judge panel said Minh played the main role in a crash on June 28, 2022, where he made a turn with his car while using his mobile phone, colliding with the 12th grade girl riding a motorbike coming up from behind.

Minh was driving a seven-seat car carrying his wife and uncle in the central province of Ninh Thuan. The car collided with Ho Hoang Anh's motorbike, flinging her from the vehicle to the road where she hit her head on impact.

Minh and his wife stepped down to check on the victim and brought her to hospital, but the girl later succumbed to head trauma.

To avoid damage to his position and his unit, Minh then asked his uncle to take the blame for him by pretending to be the car's driver, and he also requested that his wife support the lie, the indictment said.

But investigators later exposed the truth and the judge panel said Minh's efforts at deception had tainted the image of a soldier.

Minh's wife and uncle were not charged for their role as their violations were deemed not serious.