In a statement released on Monday, November 11, the Chilean Foreign Ministry said that a police officer of the Vietnamese delegation visiting Chile has been accused of sexual abuse. The accused has been “dealt with by Chilean police” and is currently in custody.
Chilean media reported on the sexual abuse incident by a police officer of the Vietnamese delegation.
State President Luong Cuong is currently on an official visit to Chile until November 12, before going to Peru to attend the APEC summit. This is also his first foreign trip as state president.
According to Chilean media, a member of the security team of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam delegation led by State President Luong Cuong on an official visit to Chile was arrested late Sunday morning, early Monday, November 11, after being accused of sexual abuse.
Chilean media also reported that the sexual abuse occurred in the hotel where the Vietnamese delegation was staying.
The police officer was identified as Lai Dac Tuan, 59 years old.
He was accused of sexually abusing a girl over 14 years old unexpectedly and without consent.
The Vietnamese official was brought to court in Santiago de Chile on the afternoon of Monday, November 11. He was later released on several conditions, including having to leave Chile within a few hours and not having access to the victim, and being banned from entering Chile for at least two years.
Flagrancia Félix Rojas, the prosecutor in charge of the case, explained to reporters that, in the case of sexual abuse, Chilean law allows for the proposal of an alternative solution in certain cases with certain criteria, and in this case those criteria were met: he had no previous convictions, it was a unique case and there was no (new) risk for the victim, and an agreement was reached with the accuser (victim).
Earlier, Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren clarified that the accused was not an employee of the diplomatic mission (entitled to diplomatic immunity) but an “escort” of the delegation of that country and revealed that his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son had apologized for “this extremely regrettable incident.”
It is known that the Guard Force under Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security of Luong Tam Quang (a junior of General Secretary To Lam) has the duty to protect those holding high-ranking positions and titles of the Vietnamese Party and State, including those in the “four pillars” such as the General Secretary, State President, Chairman of the National Assembly, and Prime Minister, not only in the country but also when traveling abroad.
Hieu Ba Linh (Synthesized)
