It has been reported that even those whom the police present to the court as over 18 years old are sent to the juvenile correctional home. As a result, many youths over 18 are accommodated in the Bhaktapur Children Correctional Home. As per the report, 46% of people over the age of 18 are kept in the Bhaktapur Children’s Correctional Home.
The aggrieved party on May 30 filed a complaint at the District Police Complex, Bhaktapur, stating that the 12-year-old girl was raped by 20-year-old Sagar Pariyar of Changunarayan Municipality-3 on April 7, 2024. The police, through the public prosecutor’s office, presented the case to the district court on charges of rape. Assistant Constable Ghanshyam Thagunna of the Bhaktapur Police Range reported that, instead of placing the accused in pre-trial detention, the court sent him to the Children’s Correctional Home in Bhaktapur on June 4.
Underprivileged Children’s Educational Programs (UCEP) Nepal has reported that the Bhaktapur Children’s Correctional Home is currently housing 115 individuals over the age of 18, leading to significant challenges. These challenges include issues with drinking water and housing, primarily due to overcrowding that exceeds the facility’s capacity. Additionally, Prabin Shilpakar, a social worker of UCEP Nepal, stated that ‘Not only 20-21-year-olds but even 27-28-year-olds have to be kept in the children’s correctional home.’ According to Shilpakar, the Children’s Correctional Home in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-2 currently houses 248 individuals, including 115 adults over the age of 18. Among the adults, there are 96 men and 19 women. Shilpakar noted that housing adults with children increases security challenges and may lead to incidents of abuse within the facility itself.