Son exposes his brothel boss mother in Vietnam for torturing worker to death

Nguyen Thi Thuy, 42, faces charges of murder and procuring prostitution, Hai Phong police said after concluding their investigation.

Her husband, Ta Dinh Phuc, 37, has been charged with procuring prostitution; H Ko Nie (also known as My), 29, with harboring a criminal; and Ngo Xuan Canh, 47, with paying for sex with a minor.

The murder was uncovered after police dismantled a prostitution ring run by Thuy and her husband.

During questioning, Thuy’s son and a female worker revealed she had killed an employee in mid-2024.

Investigators said Thuy ran a brothel in Tan Binh Ward, Hai Duong City. In April 2024, she hired Ngoc, 30, but did not assign her to sex work due to her appearance. Instead, Ngoc worked as a housekeeper and caretaker. She was frequently beaten by Thuy, suffering repeated injuries.

On July 16, 2024, Thuy accused Ngoc of stealing VND10 million (US$382) from her and VND1.5 million from My. She forced Ngoc to strip naked and tortured her with an iron pipe through the night. Thuy also ordered others to slap Ngoc, pour toilet cleaner over her body, and cut off part of her little finger.

Ngoc died on the evening of July 17, 2024. Thuy then forced another employee, Linh, and two girls under 18 to help dispose of the body. The next night, Thuy drove around with the corpse, traveling from Hai Duong to Quang Ninh, then onto the Hanoi–Hai Phong Expressway, before heading north to Bac Ha in Lao Cai and crossing into Xin Man District, Ha Giang. There, she dumped the body in a roadside pit.

Police tracked down the disposal site after interviewing employees who had fled. The victim’s identity was confirmed within 72 hours.