Authorities verify video of ninth grader forced to eat soil, smoke cigarettes in Vietnam
Thursday, October 24, 2024, 13:46 GMT+7
Authorities in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam are verifying the authenticity of a video showing a ninth-grade boy being forced by two peers to eat soil and smoke cigarettes.
Nguyen Trong Hoai, chief of the office of the provincial Department of Education and Training, said on Wednesday that the department had tasked its subordinate in Nam Dan District to coordinate with the students’ schools, local police, and other agencies to investigate the case following the video making the rounds on social and news media.
The two-minute video shows two teenagers compelling the boy to sit by a road, pick up soil, and put it in his mouth.
After swallowing a handful of soil, he was forced to smoke cigarettes.
The boy was later identified as a student at Anh Xuan Middle School in Nam Dan.
According to an initial report, the incident took place out of a conflict between Nguyen Van Th. and Vo Hai D..
Following the conflict, Th. and Pham Thien Nh., an 11th-grader at a local high school, found D. and forced him to eat soil and smoke two cigarettes.
Nh. intimidated D. while Th. was recording the video. Th. later sent the video to a group of friends following the visit.
Representatives of Anh Xuan Middle School have visited D. to check on his well-being.
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