Students on the Gateway International School bus.—VNA/VNS Illustrative Photo Minh Sơn

HÀ NỘI — The People’s Procuracy of Cầu Giấy District announced on Thursday afternoon that three defendants would be prosecuted following the death of a first grader at Gateway International School in Hà Nội on August 8.

The defendants consist of Nguyễn Bích Quy, 55, a bus monitor for the school, Doãn Quý Phiến, 53, the school bus driver and Nguyễn Thị Thủy, 29, the teacher in charge of the boy’s class.

In the indictment, Quy and Phiến were charged with manslaughter under article 128 of the 2015 Penal Code while Thủy was charged with “lacking responsibility, causing serious consequences” under article 360 of the 2015 Penal Code.

The indictment also said negligence of all three defendants was to blame for the boy’s death.

The indictment concluded that Quy and Phiến failed to check the bus after the students alighted, meaning the boy was left in the vehicle for nearly nine hours. Thủy, who was aware the student was missing from class, did not report his absence. The actions of the defendants resulted in the boy’s death. The autopsy showed that the boy died of thermal shock and respiratory failure.

According to the indictment, Phiến drove the 16-seat school bus to pick up Quy at 6am on August 6. The two then went to pick up 13 students for school, including Lê Hoàng L. – the victim. The six-year-old boy was picked up at Trung Yên Plaza Building.

At 7:22 am on the same day, the bus arrived at the Gateway International School in Cầu Giấy District. Phiến remained on the bus while Quy helped students to get off. However, at that time, there were two students, who were twins, crying, so Quy had to guide both children off the bus. All students were led off the bus, however L. remained onboard as he was sleeping. Quy closed the doors without checking for any other students.

After the door was closed, Phiến drove and parked the bus at the dormitory of the nearby Academy of Journalism and Communication. He left the bus and closed the door without checking for any students onboard. 

After taking the students to school, Quy went to the office to sign off on her job for the morning.

At 3.30pm, Phiến returned to the parking lot and drove the bus back to school. When Quy opened the doors of the bus to let students on, Quy found the young boy unconscious on the floor behind the driver's seat.

Medical staff from the school took the boy to hospital, but doctors were unable to revive him.

At 4pm the same day, the boy’s family received news that their child had not been present in class. Later, the family was informed the child had been found inside the school bus, and then was told he had died. — VNS