Fishermen imprisoned for torturing crew member for inefficiency

A Ca Mau court on Thursday sentenced Nguyen Cong Toan, 37, to six and a half years in prison for "torture" and "intentionally causing injury."

Doan Van Tac, 41, Nguyen Van Ty, 34, and Nguyen Van Cua, 32, got five years and nine months while Su Chi Tam, 27, got two and a half years. All of them are locals.

Toan was the captain of two fishing boats owned by his mother and had five crew members.

Nguyen Cong Toan (2nd, L), and his four accomplices stand trial in Ca Mau Province, September 7, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/An Minh

Truong Van Trung, 48, of the southern Kien Giang Province joined them on a fishing expedition off Ca Mau on January 4, 2022, and Toan became upset with Trung for "not knowing how to work."

Soon he got in touch with his contacts on shore to ask for another fisherman to replace Trung, but could not find anyone.

His anger with Trung kept escalating to a point where he ordered the other fishermen to "beat Trung whenever he does not do his job, and I will take full responsibility."

After that, between early February and late May last year, the five fishermen took turns to abuse Trung on 12 different occasions, breaking his teeth using pincers, whipping him with the tail of a ray fish and forcing him to eat raw fish.

By late May Trung became debilitated, and Toan sent him back to shore and returned to their fishing trip.

Following Trung's conditions, police in Ca Mau probed into the case and launched investigations in Toan and other crew members.

Trung suffered injuries to 48% of his body, according to authorities.

Toan admitted to the court that he had ordered the beatings, saying Trung failed to improve at his work and so he hit him with a hoe, shovel, stingray tail, chair, and other items.

"I realize that my actions were wrong and violate the law. I am very regretful."

Truong Van Trung, victim of torture by crew members in a fishing boat, at a trial in Ca Mau Province, September 7, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/An Minh

Trung's lawyer, Ho Nguyen Le, said his client had suffered a series of illnesses since childhood and has weak legs.

Since his family was poor, he sought to work as a fisherman to improve its financial condition, but unexpectedly had to face "hell on earth."

The defendants' behavior was "extremely barbaric" and they used dangerous weapons, damaging vital organs, he said.

He sought a compensation of more than VND700 million, but the jury awarded VND90 million.

Trung's family plans to appeal the compensation decision.