Government has issued a new decree on fine levels for domestic violence

Hanoi (VNA) – The Government has issued a new decree on fine levels for domestic violence.
Violence that is harmful to a family member’s health, such as desertion, forcing a
person to live in unhygienic conditions, or underfeeding him or her will incur a
fine of 1-2 million VND (54-108 USD) each time it is reported.

Threatening a family member with offensive images or animals will incur the same fine.

Activities which damage a person’s reputation or are demeaning will incur a fine
of between 200,000 VND and 1 million VND (10-54 USD). Forbidding a person to work or
threatening to reveal damaging secrets will incur a similar fine.

Extorting money from a family member, forcing them to work against their will or
destroying their assets will incur a fine of 2 million VND (108 USD).

Meanwhile, advice centres that take advantage of a victim of domestic violence to
get money or to release private information will be fined a maximum of 30 million
VND (1,621 USD).

Chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees will be responsible for
implementing the administrative punishments.

Similarly, serious cases of domestic violence will be punished according to the
criminal code.

The decree will take effect in January.

Le Thi Phuong Thuy, head of the Advice Bureau at the Centre for Women and
Development, said her staff had handled 910 cases of domestic violence against women
and children this year. She said instances of domestic violence were increasing each
year and that the victims are of all age groups and education levels.
Thuy said that domestic violence involves both mental and physical abuse as
well as financial or sexual maltreatment. She said mental abuse is more
common among educated individuals, while physical violence tended to occur
among the uneducated.-Enditem