Vietnam Charges Man in Rape Case of American Student

Vietnamese police have formally charged a 23-year-old man with rape after an American student reported being assaulted during a group holiday in July. The charge was confirmed on Thursday, following weeks of public pressure and intervention by U.S. officials.

The complainant, 24-year-old Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam, said she was attacked on July 5 at a resort in Phu Tho province, near Hanoi. Tam, who moved to the United States as a child and was visiting Vietnam for a banking internship, said she had joined acquaintances for a July 4 trip. After being locked out of her expected room, she fell asleep in another bedroom with the door unlocked. She says she woke to find the man kissing her neck, and despite her protests and physical resistance, he pinned her down and raped her.

Tam's account is documented in her police complaint, interviews, and messages to her boyfriend in the U.S. She said she initially blamed herself and struggled mentally. Members of the travel group reportedly told her the man came from a wealthy, politically connected family.

According to Tam, the man apologized twice on July 9, in a note and a phone call. Days later, she met with his father, who she says asked how much money she wanted to avoid involving police. The father later denied pressuring her, describing the encounter as "intimate" in an email.

When Tam reported the incident to police on July 21, she says officers took her back to the room and asked her to reenact the assault. The next day, she says police urged her to meet the man and sign a statement declining a rape kit and a lawyer. She refused. She said police again suggested a private settlement while she was receiving mental health care at a Hanoi hospital.

Tam said she received little initial help from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, which suggested she report to local police or return home. After her father contacted Senator Ted Cruz, the embassy apologized and said it had supported her. The State Department acknowledged awareness of the case but cited privacy concerns.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed legal proceedings had been initiated "in accordance with Vietnamese law" but did not address questions about alleged police pressure. Tam said she chose to speak publicly to help protect other women, noting that sexual violence is rarely discussed openly in Vietnam.

"I'm doing this not just for me. But for everybody else that has been harmed," she said.