Brian Jeffrey
This is the second sentencing for Van, who had previously received a five-year prison term for “misusing democratic freedoms to compromise state interests and violate the lawful rights of individuals and organizations.” He is now required to serve a total of eight years in prison.
The trial was held in secrecy, with tight security measures in place early in the day. Only individuals with court notices could gain entry. Although Van filed a request to skip the hearing due to health issues, the court continued as planned.
As per the indictment, from 1973 to 1988, Le Tung Van cohabited with Cao Thi Cuc (65) and a deceased woman referred to as L.T.V. in District 6 of Ho Chi Minh City. He later moved with several others to Pham Van Hai commune in Binh Chanh District.
During this time, Van fathered six children with L.T.V., including a daughter named L.T.K.D. (now 32), and had two children with Cuc, one of whom is another daughter, L.T.H.T. (also 32). These children commonly referred to Van as “teacher” and considered themselves his followers.
Investigations revealed that Van was fully aware he was engaging in sexual relations with both K.D. and H.T., who are his biological daughters. Consequently, K.D. gave birth to two children in 2014 and 2015, while H.T. had one child in 2014.
In December 2020, Van, along with his sons Le Thanh Hoan Nguyen, Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, Le Thanh Trung Duong, and Cuc, crafted contracts labeled “sperm donation agreements” dated from 2014, attempting to create false legal roots for the children and deceive authorities.
However, investigations established that neither K.D. nor H.T. had undergone any artificial insemination procedures at any local or international medical centers between 2011 and 2014. DNA tests verified that Van is indeed the biological father of all three children.
Despite evidence suggesting that others aided in hiding the crime, authorities found they had insufficient grounds to charge them as accessories. Notably, there was no definitive evidence showing that K.D. and H.T. were aware of Van’s biological relationship to them, leading to their exoneration from criminal liability.
Furthermore, with L.T.V. having passed away and insufficient evidence to establish Cuc’s direct participation in the incestuous acts, she also escaped prosecution. While Hoan Nguyen, Nhat Nguyen, Trung Duong, and Cuc were involved in the discussion and creation of the forged contracts, investigators concluded that they lacked sufficient evidence to categorize them as co-conspirators.
