Kathmandu
A total of 250 girls under the age of 10 were raped in Nepal on average each year over the past five fiscal years, according to Nepal Police data. Most cases reportedly involved perpetrators known to the victims.
A recent case in Bara has once again highlighted the vulnerability of young children. A three-year-old girl went missing from a squatter settlement in Jeetpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City-1 on August 16. Her body was found two days later inside an abandoned house in Bhaktinagar.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the case after a trained sniffer dog helped investigators identify a suspect. Police said the teenager, who worked as a helper on a vehicle, confessed to raping and killing the girl after luring her with chocolate. The vehicle’s 24-year-old driver was also arrested.
According to Madhes Province Police chief DIG Om Adhikari, the accused teenager was acquainted with the victim. The girl frequently visited the driver’s house, where the teenager also went. Police believe the acquaintance was exploited to lure the child.
The Bara case is among several recent cases involving children. In Morang, a 31-year-old ward secretary was arrested and sent to prison on charges of raping a girl. In Rolpa, a teacher was arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old student after luring her to a secluded location.
Nepal Police data show that 268 girls under 10 were raped in fiscal year 2078/79 BS, followed by 259 in 2079/80 BS, 252 in 2080/81 BS, 217 in 2081/82 BS and 221 in 2082/83 BS.
Girls aged 11 to 16 constitute the largest group of rape victims. Police recorded 963 victims in this age group in fiscal year 2078/79 BS, 944 in 2079/80 BS, 1,009 in 2080/81 BS, 931 in 2081/82 BS and 966 in 2082/83 BS.
Overall, Nepal recorded 2,395 rape victims in fiscal year 2082/83 BS. Of them, 1,510 were girls under 18, while 885 were women aged 18 and above.
Police officials say most rape cases involving minors are committed by people known to the victims, including relatives, teachers, neighbours and acquaintances. Children are often lured through promises, gifts or other forms of persuasion.
Former DIG Hemant Malla said the pattern of perpetrators being known to victims is particularly common in cases involving minors.
Police have urged parents to remain vigilant about where their children go, whom they meet and changes in their behaviour.
The recent Bara case has also triggered calls for tougher punishment, including the death penalty. However, Nepal’s existing criminal law does not provide for capital punishment.
Under Section 219 of the National Penal Code Act, 2017, rape of a girl under 10, a person who is completely incapacitated or a woman above 70 carries life imprisonment. Rape of girls aged 10 to 14 carries 18 to 20 years in prison, while rape of girls aged 14 to 16 carries 12 to 14 years.
For victims aged 16 to 18, the punishment is 10 to 12 years in prison, while rape of women aged 18 and above carries seven to 10 years’ imprisonment.
