The District Court has sentenced four boys, aged 13, 14, 14, and 15, from Ghorahi to three months’ imprisonment after finding them guilty in a case involving the rape of a 13-year-old girl.
In a verdict delivered on June 26, District Judge Prakash Prasad Pandit found the four juveniles guilty and sentenced each of them to three months in prison. However, considering that they are minors, the court waived half of the sentence and suspended the remaining 45 days of imprisonment to avoid disrupting their school education. According to Bhupal Bhandari, Registrar of the District Court, if any of the boys commits a criminal offence in the future, they will also be required to serve the suspended 45-day sentence.
According to the case, the four boys sexually abused the girl on April 27. The survivor’s family filed a complaint with the Dang District Police Office on April 28, after which police arrested the accused from their homes the same day. Through the District Government Attorney’s Office, a case relating to child sexual abuse was filed on May 13. On May 14, the bench of District Judge Tikendra Dahal released the juveniles into the custody of their parents or guardians while the case was pending. The survivor underwent a medical examination at Rapti Academy of Health Sciences on April 28.