Thanh Hóa child death investigation

In early July 2026 a three‑year‑old boy from Hai Binh ward, Thanh Hóa province, fell into a coma after attending a private special‑needs intervention centre. The child’s mother reported the incident to police, alleging abuse. Investigators found the centre, run by Ms H. T. H., was operating without a licence, prompting the provincial Department of Education and Training to request a suspension of its activities.

Police identified the class teacher, Hàn Thị Hằng, as the sole caregiver for twenty children that day. She left the room during the children’s midday nap and discovered the boy only after he awoke, leading authorities to consider the case a possible "intentional injury" and to gather statements and evidence against her.

The boy, later identified as L. T. G. B., was transferred from the provincial children’s hospital to the National Children’s Hospital and then to the Central Children’s Hospital for intensive care. Medical examinations on 10 July revealed severe bruising, a large hematoma on the right rib cage, broken ribs, pancreatic and intestinal rupture, internal bleeding and multiple‑organ failure. Despite treatment, he died on 4 August 2026.

Local police now treat the incident as possible assault and neglect. The Ministry of Health’s Mother‑and‑Child Department has asked Thanh Hóa health authorities to cooperate with police and to review all similar private education facilities for compliance with child‑protection laws. The unlicensed education facility has been ordered to close temporarily, and the investigation into the centre’s operations and the teacher’s conduct remains ongoing.