Vietnam has charged a man with rape after an American student reported being assaulted in her bed during a group vacation. The 24-year-old student, whose account was documented in interviews, her police complaint, and communications with U.S. and Vietnamese officials, said she was raped on July 5.
She further alleged that the man's family pressured her to accept money and not involve the police. The student also stated that authorities initially urged her to settle the matter privately.
The U.S. student, who moved to the United States from Vietnam with her family when she was five, had returned to her homeland in May for a banking internship. She joined a group of acquaintances for a trip to a resort in Phu Tho, near Hanoi, around July 4.
According to her account, after staying up late, she found herself locked out of her expected room. She entered another bedroom and fell asleep with the door unlocked. She awoke to find the 23-year-old man kissing her neck. Her complaint states she told him to stop, but he persisted, climbed on top of her, pinned her arms, and raped her. She later messaged her boyfriend in the U.S. to report the assault.
Following the alleged assault, the student experienced mental distress and self-blame. Members of her travel group informed her that the accused man came from a wealthy and politically connected family, which contributed to her uncertainty about how to proceed.
The accused man reportedly apologized twice on July 9, once in a written note and again during a phone call. The student's family and friends arranged a meeting with the man's father on July 11, during which he allegedly inquired about compensation for not pursuing legal action. He reportedly called again five days later, also offering compensation. The father, in an email to The Associated Press, stated the two had been “intimate” but declined to comment further, adding his family had “no intention” of pressuring the student.
On July 21, the student reported the incident to the police. She recounted that they took her back to the room where the assault allegedly occurred and asked her to reenact the events, an experience she described as distressing. The following day, she said, police urged her to meet with the accused man and to sign a statement indicating she had refused a rape kit and legal counsel, which she declined. She also stated that police again suggested a settlement while she was receiving mental health care at a Hanoi hospital.
Seeking assistance from U.S. officials, she initially received limited support from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. They advised her to report the matter to Vietnamese police or return home, and discouraged her by mentioning a previous sexual assault case that was eventually dropped. After her father contacted U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, the embassy contacted her to apologize. The embassy informed Cruz's office that it had supported the student and assisted her in contacting authorities, a claim her father disputed in an email exchange on July 29, calling it “inaccurate.” The State Department acknowledged awareness of the case but stated it could not comment further due to legal and privacy reasons, emphasizing that the safety and security of Americans is its top priority.
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang confirmed that authorities had initiated legal proceedings “in accordance with Vietnamese law” but did not address questions regarding alleged pressure to settle the case. The accused man did not respond to inquiries sent via social media.