Vietnamese authorities have formally charged a 23-year-old man with rape following an American student’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted during a group holiday in Phu Tho province. The woman, identified as 24-year-old Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam, reported the alleged incident to police on July 21, several weeks before authorities announced criminal proceedings against the suspect.
The case has drawn attention after Tam said she faced pressure to resolve the matter privately and accept financial compensation rather than pursue a criminal complaint. Vietnamese authorities have confirmed that legal proceedings were initiated under the country’s criminal law.
American Student Says She Was Attacked During Vietnam Trip
Tam, who lives in the United States, returned to Vietnam in May for a banking internship and traveled with a group of acquaintances to a resort in Phu Tho around the July 4 holiday.
According to her complaint, she went to sleep in a bedroom after discovering that the room where she had planned to stay was unavailable. She alleged that she later woke to the 23-year-old man kissing her neck. Tam said she told him to stop and resisted, but he allegedly continued and assaulted her.
She later contacted her boyfriend in the United States and told him what had happened. The messages were subsequently reviewed as part of reporting on the case.
Tam said the suspect apologized in a written note and during a telephone conversation several days after the alleged assault. She also said members of the group told her the man’s family was influential, leaving her uncertain about whether to report the incident.
Family Allegedly Offered Compensation
Tam said she and family acquaintances met with the suspect’s father on July 11. According to her account, his father asked how much money she would accept in exchange for not involving police and later made another offer of compensation.
The father acknowledged that the two had been intimate but denied that his family intended to pressure Tam into abandoning the case. The suspect himself did not respond to requests for comment reported in connection with the case.
Tam eventually filed a complaint with Vietnamese police on July 21. She later alleged that officers took her back to the location where she said the assault occurred and asked her to reenact what happened. She described the experience as deeply distressing.
Vietnamese police also allegedly encouraged her to meet the accused and settle the matter, according to Tam. Authorities have not publicly addressed those specific allegations.
Vietnam Opens Criminal Proceedings
Phu Tho provincial police said they began investigating after receiving Tam’s complaint. Authorities subsequently identified the suspect as Nguyen Minh Hieu, 23, and said investigators had questioned the alleged victim, people familiar with the incident and the accused.
On Aug. 17, investigators formally opened a criminal case and charged Hieu with rape under Article 141 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code, according to the provincial police announcement released Aug. 19.
The case also prompted questions about the assistance Tam received from U.S. officials. She said she initially felt that the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi offered limited options. After her father contacted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Tam said embassy officials later apologized. The U.S. State Department confirmed it was aware of the case but declined to discuss details, citing privacy and legal considerations.
Tam has chosen to speak publicly about the allegation despite the stigma surrounding sexual violence in Vietnam. She said her decision was intended not only to seek justice for herself but also to encourage greater protection and support for other victims.
