A court in the southern province of Binh Duong Friday handed down a jail term of two years to a nursery owner for maltreating a four-year-old girl.

 

Tran Thi Phung, 53, who was convicted of “torturing people,” was also ordered to pay VND5 million (US$256) in compensations to her victim, Ho Thi Thuy Ngan.

 

According to indictment, Phung, who opened the nursery at her home in 2003, enrolled Ngan in May, 2009. Her daycare service was offered at between VND300,000-500,000 ($15-25) a month.

  

Phung had abused Ngan by splashing water over her face, and stamping and pinning her down to the floor many times while bathing her, prosecutors said.

 

Her act was exposed when a local filmed the abuse and posted it online on November 20 last year, prompting police to step in and arrest her.

 

Tests later showed that Ngan’s had developed respiratory ailments because of the abuse.