Children's charity shelter owner, workers detained after discovery of child abuse

Police officers entering Hoa Hồng Charity Shelter in L52 Tô Ký, Trung Mỹ Tây Ward, District 12, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The charity children's shelter Mái Ấp Hoa Hồng (Rose) in HCM City has had its licence revoked after an investigation by Thanh Niên (Young People) Newspaper revealed sickening abuse of orphans living there.

The shelter's owner, Giáp Thị Sông Hương (50) and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Cẩm (47), the nanny who allegedly abused children, are being detained by the Police Department of District 12 (HCM City), according to the District 12 People's Committee.

Another nanny who was allegedly involved in the abuse, a woman named Tuyền, has fled the shelter. Police officers are travelling to a south-western province to look for her.

The acts of child abuse, mistreatment and fraud involving the misappropriation of assets at the Hoa HồngShelter are also being investigated by the police.

On September 4, Thanh Niên began publishing an investigative series Crimes in a Shelter, reflecting on the frequent abuse and mistreatment of children by carers at the shelter at L52 Tô Ký, Trung Mỹ Tây Ward, District 12.

A nanny seen hitting a baby in a screen capture of a videoclip by Thanh Niên Newspaper's journalist. — Photo thanhnien.vn

Following this, authorities and relevant agencies have promptly investigated and handled the case.

According to a report from the People’s Committee of District 12, the Hoa Hồng Shelter was established in 2023 under a decision by the District 12's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA). The legal representative of the shelter is Giáp Thị Sông Hương (from the northern province of Bắc Giang, residing in Gò Vấp District).

According to its licence, Hoa Hồng shelter is a non-public, not-for-profit social support facility tasked with assisting and raising homeless children, abandoned children and orphans.

The licence stipulated that the facility could not care for more than 39 children. However, during an inspection on September 4 in the wake of the abuse discovery, the facility was found to be housing 86 children. This included 15 infants, three children aged one to two years, 31 children aged three to five years (also attending Sóc Bông Kindergarten), three children aged six to twelve years and one child receiving treatment in a hospital. The shelter also has fifteen workers.

This means the shelter violated regulations by accepting and caring for more children than the licensed capacity.

Notably, the District 12's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, along with relevant agencies, had previously inspected the shelter twice, but found no violations.

After the publication of Thanh Niên's investigation, which included video clips of nannies physically abusing and manhandling the very young babies along with proof of poor care standards, the People’s Committee of District 12 instructed the district's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Trung Mỹ Tây Ward People’s Committee to coordinate with a task force from the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to arrange new housing for the 86 children in the shelter's care.

On September 4, the authorities relocated the children to social support centres under the management of the HCM City to continue care and upbringing in accordance with regulations.

Thirty-two children were sent to the Tam Bình Child Protection and Nurturing Centre, thirty-six to the Thủ Đức Teenagers Village, fifteen to the Gò Vấp Children's Village, two were returned to their families and ten were hospitalised due to pneumonia.

Regarding the Hoa Hồng Shelter, the People’s Committee of District 12 issued a directive to suspend and revoke the shelter's operating licence.

The District 12 People’s Committee also directed the district police to bring the shelter's owner, nannies and related staff to the police station for questioning.

District 12 Police are currently detaining individuals and compiling legal documents on the case according to the law.

Regarding management responsibilities, the People’s Committee of District 12 has assigned the Department of Home Affairs to propose measures for clarifying responsibility and strictly handling individuals and organisations involved in state management, which led to the violations at the shelter. — VNS