Tran Nguyen Hong Quang of Thuy Xuan Ward Police Office was suspended pending further investigations into the beating of Ngo Dinh Phat, a fifth grader.

The boy is being treated at the hospital, with his condition improving.

On Wednesday, Phat’s aunt took him to a police station in Thuy Xuan Ward after she discovered that he had stolen VND3.1 million (US$150) while visiting her house. 

After being questioned by the police, Phat returned home and developed a fever and convulsions.

Phat was later admitted to a hospital in Hue City with serious bruises on his legs and buttocks.

Thuy Xuan Ward’s police officers, on Friday, offered an apology to the boy’s family.

Dang Ngoc Son, chief of Hue City’s Police Department, told newswire VnExpress Quang just wanted to admonish the boy not to repeat stealing but he gave the boy an excessive beating.

He blamed Quang’s lack of professional knowledge for the wrongdoing.

Quang is a fresh graduate and has been working as a police officer for six months, he added.