Dutch man beaten in popular Vietnam resort town takes blame

By Pham Du   July 11, 2017 | 06:27 am PT
The 64-year-old man claimed he started the fight by insulting a car driver.

A Dutch man filmed being attacked by a group of five in the northern tourist town of Sa Pa last Sunday has presented himself to the police.

He does not, however, wish to pursue the case, claiming he was the one who started the fight, according to Sa Pa police.

Aart Nicolass Teunissen, 64, claimed he and his Vietnamese wife were riding a motorbike on a highway in Sa Pa on Sunday when they encountered heavy traffic. He became irritated after a car drove too close to them and insulted the car's driver, Nhan Dan newspaper reported.

An argument then broke out between the two sides, and escalated into a fight after Teunissen pushed the car's driver. Four car passengers then jumped out and helped the driver attack Teunissen and his wife, who fought back with their helmets.

Bystanders eventually stepped in to break up the fight as traffic came to a standstill. Both parties soon left the scene, with Teunissen suffering severe bruising to his face.

A 3-minute video of the incident was shared on social media later on Sunday, prompting police to launch an investigation.

Police have also summoned two of the car's passengers, while others involved in the fight are still being identified.

Last month, a 27-year-old American man was beaten in Hanoi after he banged on the door of a car to notify the driver that his foot had been run over. The driver and a friend used a crash helmet to beat him and anyone who tried to intervene. Both have been arrested on criminal charges.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City also detained a man last week for fatally stabbing an American tourist, allegedly over an argument about the poor quality of drugs the foreigner had bought from him.

 
 
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