Vietnam man 'raped girl for luck'

An former senior sports official has been officially charged with raping a young girl, say reports from Vietnam.

Luong Quoc Dung allegedly raped the 13-year-old girl because he thought sex with a virgin would bring an end to a run of bad luck, the reports say.

The 52-year-old is the former vice-chairman of the sports ministry.

Correspondents say it is the first time that a high-ranking Vietnamese government official has been accused publicly of raping a minor.

The charges were filed following a six-month investigation, the official Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reported.

The Associated Press news agency quotes a police report as saying the assault occurred in a hotel room in Hanoi on 30 December 2003.

Mr Dung allegedly paid a former mistress $1,000 to procure the girl.

Mr Dung was arrested at his office on 19 February and fired by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on 1 March, who cited the "special seriousness of his law-breaking act".

Several articles have alleged that the girl's family tried to drop the case after Mr Dung paid them $68,000.

Mr Dung, who is being held in B14 prison in Hanoi, has reportedly made no comment about the charges.

But his lawyer, Nguyen Suy Thiep, said Mr Dung should have been charged not with rape but sex with a minor, saying the act had been consensual.

Mr Dung will face trial within a month, reports say.