Issues with the investigation and prosecution of online child sexual abuse in Vietnam

While online child sexual abuse (OCSA) is an international concern, little is known about its negative effects in Vietnam, where the percentages of Internet users exceed 50% of the population. A recent statistic from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), under the Ministry of Public Security, reveals that during the 4 years period (2014 to June 2018), on average, more than 1,500 child sexual abuse cases were detected per year. However, the proportion of OCSA detected cases in the total detected child sexual abuse cases was only 2.5%. Also, there has not been any formal evaluation of the situation with the investigation and prosecution of OCSA and child pornography in Vietnam. This research project has sought to give an overview of the current state of investigation and prosecution of OCSA in Vietnam and to examine the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in tackling this serious cybercrime. The research was conducted over 9 months, from February to November 2018 and divided into three parts. The overview of the terminology, nature of OCSA and the regional and international concerns about the rise of OCSA was presented in the first part. In the second part, the practice of Vietnam CID investigation and prosecution of OCSA was analyzed carefully to establish the aim and objectives of the research. The research was illustrated by four selected case studies that had been investigated in order to determine the barriers to current efforts of law enforcement agencies in dealing with this problem. The database of the CID was accessed and analyzed with a view to evaluating the current situation. The cases and related materials of the Police Force during the period of 2014-June 2018 were collected for assessment. In this part, the existing legal framework, the structure, and capacity of relevant law enforcement agencies were studied for a comprehensive evaluation. In the third part, the research identified the existing issues with the investigation and prosecution of OCSA in Vietnam. The issues include the lack of a legal framework, insufficient capacity of law enforcement agencies, the lack of human resources, technical training and the limits on international cooperation. The findings of the research improve the awareness of OCSA in Vietnamese society. It serves as a valuable academic resource and reference for researchers as well as practitioners.