HCMC babysitter arrested after beating toddler to death

Nguyen Ngoc Phuong, 31, was arrested by police of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 to be investigated for "deliberate infliction of bodily harm upon another person."

Phuong told the police the little girl, who received daytime care at her house, frequently screamed and cried, and the girl’s father, 37-year-old Duc, failed to pay Phuong on time for her babysitting duties, causing her resentment. So she often used a broom to hit the girl in the face, arms and legs.

From October 31 to November 5, Phuong frequently beat the girl in the head with her hands, or with milk bottles.

On November 6, the girl began to show signs of being unwell, so Phuong took her to the District 7 hospital. The girl was then transferred to the Children’s Hospital 2 in a coma and with dilated pupils. Multiple bruises were spotted on her body. The girl eventually died to severe head trauma.

The police said the girl was beaten for long periods of time, and both Phuong and her husband were summoned for questioning. The husband said he was aware that Phuong beat the girl and tried to talk her out of it. Police has yet to confirm whether the husband was an accomplice.

Duc, the girl’s father, said he was at work when he received a call from Phuong, saying his daughter has been taken to a hospital. When he finally reached the Children’s Hospital 2, doctors told him his daughter had died.