Gang Rape cases on rise in Nepal

Gang Rape is utterly the most atrocious act against any woman. One cannot compare or imagine the pain and suffering of a rape victim and when it comes to gang rape then it multiplies thousand times. The act not only inflicts wounds physically but it prolongs a potential effect on the psychological state of the victim which is very hard to cure, one becomes empty and despised with oneself where there is no ending to the pain and suffering.

Similarly, with a lot of awareness and heightened campaigns the cases of gang rapes are in increasing trend. From the Delhi rape case that made the world think and pray for the victim to the united efforts of the UN Women to fighting against women violence and sexual abuse, things have not changed. In recent days, violence against women especially rape cases have significantly gone up.Looking at the trend of Nepal, the government, Women Commission, NGOs and INGOs working in the field are trying their best in making the most out of it but every day the newspaper headlines are charted with one or the other story of a woman being obliterated of her respect and dignity.  It may be easy for us to read the data’s but the real stories behind the scene is very tragic and awful in Nepal.

In DANG a 16-year-old teenage girl of Purandhara VDC-9 was gang raped inside a parked bus at New Bus Park Dang’s Tulsipur on Saturday.

According to police, "A group of four youths, gang raped the girl in turns inside the bus. The accusers were arrested the same night where the victim is undergoing treatment at Rapti Zonal Hospital.”

The name of the arrested accuser are Binod KC, Yubaraj Dangi, Chandra Dangi and Arjun Yogi.

Similarly on Friday, a 15-year-old girl of Goltakuri in Dang was gang-raped in the Fulbari Dhakana forest  at 5:00 pm where the   perpetrators are on flee.

Likewise in Belatari, a 15-year-old girl from Dalit community was gang-raped in Nawalparasi. The victim’s family has filed a case at Local Police Office.

In Kudiya VDC, a case was registered at the local police station where a girl was gang-raped by three youths on July 1. The accussed  are Jitendra, Dhruba and Rohit Harijan.The victim is currently taking shelter at Alpakalin Service Centre run by Women Development Office, Nawalparasi.

Police have arrested Devlal an 80 years old man in connection of raping a12-year-old girl in Jhapa on Saturday. The victim is a third grader at a community school in Anarmani.

Nepali law penalizes sexual abuse with three months in prison for the perpetrator and a fine of 25,000 rupees ($300) to compensate the victim on the other hand the Muluki Ain in Nepal Regarding Rape, Chapter 14 translates:

No. 1 : Having sexual intercourse with an unmarried girl, a widow or someone's wife under sixteen years of age with or without her consent and with one above sixteen years of age without her consent by using force or showing threat or even under inappropriate influence is proved to be a rape case.

No. 2 :For raping a woman within kinship, the one who rapes will get punishment mentioned in the chapter regarding sexual intercourse within kinship in addition to the punishment in accord with this chapter. As for the case of life imprisonment, the punishment for rape will not be added.

No. 3 : One who commits rape should be imprisoned for six upto ten years if the woman raped is under fourteen years of age, and for three upto five years if the woman is fourteen or above fourteen years of age.

No. 4 : One who knowingly accompanies the one who intends to commit rape, and who grabs the woman or helps in the act should be punished upto one year each. As for the case of a girl under fourteen years of age, he will be punished doubly.

No. 5 : The one who has made an attempt to rape but has not committed rape will get punished equal to half of the one's who has committed it.

No. 6 : If someone has instigated someone else to commit rape, the one who has instigated to perform the act will, in the case of rape having committed, get punishment equal to half of the rapist's, and in the case of attempted but not actually committed rape, he will get equal to half of the attempt maker's punishment.

No. 7: If someone has a sexual intercourse with prostitution without her consent, the one who commits it will either be fined an amount of Rs. five hundred or imprisoned upto one year.

Women of all ages are being targeted where the government is not able to address the issue. Women empowerment, women leadership and women security are three different things where most of our energy is being drained at creating a fake image of a modern woman.

With limited rules and regulation, violence and sexual exploitation against women is growing. In true sense the government of Nepal has established 33 % for women participation but on practical ground women of Nepal are not secure enough to walk on the streets. If we want our women to be secured we need rules and regulation that can make then free from violence and freedom in every sense to be safe.