Vietnamese Mother Sentenced to Life for Kidnapping Her Own Children for Insurance Payouts

PHNOM PENH, August 6, 2026 – A Vietnamese woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of kidnapping her own four children and defrauding insurance companies of more than 4.1 billion VND (approximately $165,000), according to court documents.

To Thi Ty Na, a mother of four, had previously been convicted of property theft and completed her prison sentence in 2008. She returned to her hometown, married, and had four children. Her husband passed away in 2020, leaving her to raise four young children without stable employment or income. She sold the family home for 1.2 billion VND, but after exhausting those funds, she purchased seven life insurance policies for her children, with annual premiums exceeding 100 million VND.

According to the indictment, Na conspired with an individual identified as N.V.H. to stage a fake scene on the night of January 2, 2023. She then filed claims with two insurance companies and received payouts totalling over 4.1 billion VND, which she used for personal purposes.

The court found the defendant's actions particularly serious, infringing on the lives of others, causing public outrage, and affecting social order and safety. The judge stated that severe punishment was necessary to deter and prevent similar crimes.

The court sentenced Na to life imprisonment for kidnapping and an additional six years for insurance fraud, with the total punishment being life in prison.

Source: Vietnamnet.vn

https://vietnamnet.vn/en/trial-opens-in-alleged-child-murder-for-insurance-money-2542670.html

Reported by The Khmer Today