A Vietnamese woman has been indicted for brutally beating her stepdaughter over a minute amount of cash.

Truong Thi Thuy Ai, 35, from Go Dau District, Tay Ninh Province, was charged for assaulting N.T.K.A., her 8-year-old stepdaughter, who is a second grader at Cam An Elementary School, police said on Saturday.

As soon as the incident was reported to police, investigation was conducted and A. had her health examined, resulting in a confirmation of injuries over her body.

A.’s teacher brought her to the school’s health office after she fainted in the classroom on March 23, and the beating was exposed then.

“Her back and stomach were covered in weals and bruises,” the teacher and staff in the school’s health office recounted, adding that there were lots of scratches on her thighs.

After being encouraged to speak out, A. told her teacher that she was hit by her stepmom on March 22.

A. is the daughter of Nguyen Minh Khoi, who lives with Ai as her husband, the woman said.

Ai added that on that day, she gave VND5,000 (22.5 cents) to A. and the kid she has with Khoi, saying that they were allowed to use VND4,000 (18 cents) and had to give her back VND1,000 (4.5 cents).

After school A. told her that she forgot about it and spent all the money given, Ai said.

She hit A. with a solid bamboo stick as a penalty for such behavior, Ai added.

The stepmother admitted that she had struck A. many times with hands and sticks.

Khoi, A.’s father, said that he had never heard A. tell him about the incident, as he works for a local facility all day until night-time.

A. is currently cared for by her grandmother and aunt, and she is able to go to school, according to her family.

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