A man who sexually assaulted a woman in a lift in Vietnam was fined the equivalent of less than £7, sparking a public outcry.
People took to social media to complain after the man was fined 200,000 Vietnamese dong (£6.56) for forcibly kissing the victim in a lift at her apartment building in the capital city of Hanoi.
CCTV footage, which went viral, showed the defendant chatting to the woman before he cornered and leapt on her.
The victim then fled from the lift as the man grabbed her arm.
Unlike rape, sexual assault is not a criminal offence in Vietnam, but is considered an administrative violation falling under the category of “indecent speech and behaviour”, the AFP news agency reported.
According to the agency, the maximum fine for sexual assault is $13, the equivalent of just under £10.
The monthly minimum wage in urban Hanoi is about 4,180,000 Vietnamese dong (£137).
An online petition has been set up calling for an amendment to the law.
Criticising the punishment on Facebook, Duong Dai Trieu said: “The fine ... was a mockery and humiliation against the dignity of Vietnamese women.”
Office worker Nguyen Trang told AFP: “It’s ridiculous, I can’t accept this ... I’m worried for my kids and myself.”
Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies, welcomed the public outcry.
He told the agency: “The reaction is a good sign, society has shown its support to those who are courageous to speak out.”
