15 Year Old Boy in Vietnam Murders Child to Get Money for Online Gaming

A 15 year old boy in the Vietnamese province of Nghe An is in police custody today, charged with the murder of a neighbor, a 7 year old girl.

The boy confessed to police that he had planned to kill the girl so he could steal her gold earrings to get money to pay for online gaming.  To commit the murder, the boy went with the girl to the jungle to pick fruit, then grabbed a rock and smashed it into her head.

Although the 7 year-old survived the initial attack, she died four days later in hospital of brain injuries.

Gaming addiction is a significant social problem in Vietnam and this is not the first murder or robbery within the country linked to earning money to fund an online gaming habit. Authorities are taking steps to control the problem, with measures like a ban on the advertising of online gaming and restrictions on the hours gaming cafes can open.