In the past one year (Jan 2019-Dec 2019), three women with disability have been raped in Saptari. Along with it, there are 12 women who were raped and seven women faced attempt of sexual harassment.
In 2018, 12 women were raped which included a mentally disabled woman as well and six faced attempt of sexual harassment.
In aggregate, women including ones with disability are facing gender discrimination, rape and sexual misbehave due to which the concerned bodies are worried.
Disabled women are discriminated on the basis of their gender as well as their disability. The 12 rape cases included three gang rapes. Those women were targeted because of their inability to protest and defend themselves said District Police Office’s SP Krishna Prasai.
Radha Aryal, treasurer of Guardian’s Association of Intellectually Disabled said, most of the cases of the rapes on disabled women are either suppressed or not registered or closed due to threatening or financial luring from the accused’s side.
In the rape cases of 2019 the victims were from 19 to 31 years. There were 20 culprits from 19 to 46 years.
The data of Sexual harassment or misbehave says, in 2019 seven cases were publicized. The victims were from 19 to 45 years and the culprits were from 28 to 59 years.
One of the accused had the charge of two attempt to rape and one sexual misbehave. He is under custody for investigation whereas four of them are on bail. Two of the accused have absconded.
Than Singh Bhansali, President of Citizen’s society says the disabled give up in mid-way due to lack of family-society’s support, financial problems and their physical inability.