Receiving information about a brother who is taking care of 3 younger sisters but chained their legs to the window, on July 20, we joined the authorities of Bao Loc City (Lam Dong), the leader of Loc Chau Commune People’s Committee and this commune police officer came to the foster home to find out the situation.
The room where the two sisters are chained
This brother’s name is Nguyen Hai Ha (58 years old, living in Anh Mai 1 village, Loc Chau commune, Bao Loc city). 3 younger half-sisters being raised by Mr. Ha are: Nguyen Thi Hoa (46 years old), Nguyen Thi Mai (44 years old) and Nguyen Thi Tuyet (38 years old) with permanent residence in H.Tan Phu, Dong Nai.
Ms. Hoa and Mai have Paranoid schizophrenia, and Ms. Tuyet has unspecified schizophrenia. In 2017, the People’s Court of H.Tan Phu declared that all three sisters lost their civil act capacity.
The house Mr. Ha used to raise and take care of his 3 younger sisters
The house where the 3 sisters are being cared for by their older brother is a small house (with attic) in the garden with trees and 2 ponds in front and behind the pig farm next door.
When the authorities arrived, the two sisters were chained with one leg to the window in the room (and the younger brother was not chained), sitting on a mat on the floor in a state of no pants.
Chi Hoa’s legs are chained
Mai’s legs are chained
After directly discussing and talking with these two sisters, Mr. Dinh Cong Huyen, Deputy Head of the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Bao Loc City realized that they were screaming, crying for help and talking normally, controlling their behavior, so Mr. Huyen asked Mr. Ha to open the chains for these two sisters so that they could live and walk normally.
At the same time, the functional force also said that this woman put on pants, Hoa went to get pants to put on herself and got more pants for her.
3 sisters live after being unchained
According to Mr. Nguyen Hai Ha, explained, there are many brothers in the family, but his family has been taking care of these 3 mentally ill siblings since 2020. Previously, all 3 sisters lived in the same house with him, but because “troubled” so he brought him into this garden house.
“I chained them up because they were mentally ill and couldn’t control their behavior. I only chained them when they had a seizure, not often. When they put on their clothes, they often ripped them off, the same goes for blankets and mattresses,” said Mr. Ha.
Mr. Ha explained about chaining the children’s feet
According to Mr. Huyen as well as the authorities, the place where Mr. Ha raised and cared for his 3 younger brothers did not ensure environmental sanitation, which easily made the disease worse. Medical staff also visited and checked the health of all three women and said they were basically normal.
It is known that due to disagreement on the care and nurturing of these three mentally ill brothers within the family of Mr. Ha, Mr. Ha brought the case to the People’s Court of Bao Loc City for ruling. giving custody and nurturing rights.
Mr. Dinh Cong Huyen (on the right) and the authorities lobbied Mr. Ha to send the children to a social protection facility, but Mr. Ha disagreed.
Mr. Huyen and the functional agencies have lobbied and persuaded Mr. Ha to let the authorities assist in bringing the 3 sisters to a social protection facility in the area to be cared for and nurtured while waiting for the judgment. court decision, but Mr. Ha disagreed.
At the same time, Mr. Ha’s younger brother, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh (51 years old, living near Mr. Ha’s house in Loc Chau commune), suggested that if he could not send the children to a social protection facility, he would ask to take care of one person (Ms. Mai) to share the burden for Mr. Ha, but Mr. Ha still firmly disagreed.
“I’ve been taking care of them for a long time with the love of my brother in the family. “It’s okay if a drop of blood is better than a pond of water”, Mr. Ha said.
Mr. Thinh (left) asked to adopt Hoa to share the burden, but Mr. Ha disagreed
Before Mr. Ha’s resolute attitude, the authorities asked the children to stay with him, so he had to take better care of them than the current reality.
Mr. Ha agreed and wrote a commitment with the witness of the authorities, with the content: I apply for a guarantee to adopt 3 girls (Hoa, Mai, Tuyet) while waiting for the Court to determine the guardian. .
“I pledge to ensure clean living conditions, food and drink and take care of the health and life of the three children, without chaining their legs, detaining them.
Medical staff check the health of women
In addition to the commitment not to chain and detain the children, Mr. Ha also committed not to abuse and violence, regularly supervise and motivate the children.