Details are sketchy. What is known is that Nguyen Trung Kien, 47, was reported on Saturday morning for perpetrating violence on his child in his house.

Officers arrived and ordered to let his daughter out, but he refused and locked the doors.

After spending many hours failing to convince the man to surrender, the police broke in at around 6 p.m. to rescue the girl.

She was hospitalized with bruises on her back and a broken right arm. He had been beating her for several days, according to authorities.

A police search of the house turned up 7.7 grams of various drugs, a pistol, 14 bullets, two knives, and evidence that pointed to domestic violence.

Despite legal protection on paper, violence against children remains widespread in Vietnam.

Official data since 2015 shows an average five children were sexually or physically abused every day.