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Surkhet

A 15-year-old girl from Jajarkot was raped at 11 at night on February 8 2078 at her home. Due to poor economic conditions, her father was working as a laborer in India. She lived with her mother. Bal Bahadur Sihan, 31,  Karki Village, Chedagadh Municipality-12, raped the girl while her mother was out on errands.

Sihan entered the home on the pretext of looking for shelter for the night. When the girl resisted his advances and tried to call for help, he threatened to kill her. A few months after the incident, her mother noticed some changes in her daughter. After a checkup, it was confirmed that the girl was pregnant. As the days passed, the girl gave birth to a daughter on November 20, 2022. Currently, she is living under the protection of an organization.

Similarly, a girl living in Jajarkot and studying in Surkhet was raped twice within 11 months. An 11-year-old girl who entered the city dreaming of a bright future was living with her sister on rent. The girl was raped by Prakash Jaishi, 23, from Humla on August 24, 2021, in a bush near the roadside. Accused Jaishi is currently serving his sentence in prison.

Exactly one year after this incident, Manan Sapkota, 21 of Birendranagar-12, and Krishna Rizal, 23, victimized the same girl, on August 12, 2022. Sapkota, the assailant, was released on bail after making the victim hostile by temptations with the pretense of education and marriage.

Similarly, an 18-year-old girl was raped in Surkhet on January 24, 2022. The girl was living in a rented room in Birendranagar. Govind Chhetri, 32, of Nayagaon, Gurvakot Municipality-13, raped her. The victim worked at a private company to support her education expenses. Chhetri threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident. He again proceeded to victimize her, for the second time,  on September 22, 2022. After repeatedly being raped, the victim was forced to leave the room and go to the village.

According to the three-year statistics of rape, rape incidents have increased every year in Karnali. According to statistics, there were 480 reported cases of rape in Karnali. According to the statistics of the Karnali Province Police Office, the highest number of incidents was reported in Surkhet. In the financial year 2020/021, 158 incidents of rape were documented in Karnali. Similarly, in the financial year 2021/022, 155 rape incidents, and in 2022/023 a total of 170 rape cases were documented. The analysis of the statistics shows that the rate of documented cases of rape in Surkhet is increasing every day.

In 022/023, there were 71 victims of rape in Surkhet. According to the statistics of May 2022, of the financial year 022/23, the police in Salyan have registered 17 cases of rape. There have been 15 reported cases of rape in Kalikot. According to the statistics of the Karnali Province Police Office, there were 14 registered rape cases each in Rukum West and Jumla. Similarly, 13 incidents of rape were reported in Dailekh, while 9 incidents of rape were reported in Jajarkot and Humla. Similarly 13 incidents in Dailekh, nine incidents each in Jajarkot and Humla, seven rape in Mugu, and one rape case in Dolpa.

Gopalchand Bhattarai, SSP and Spokesperson of Karnali Province Police Office informed that vulnerability is the main factor for rape incidents of minors. He said that the police administration is continuously trying to reduce such incidents. SSP and Spokesperson Bhattarai said that rape incidents have increased every year in Surkhet due to undocumented settlements and an increasing population.

Similarly, the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) released the statistics of 88 rape victims in 2022. In 2022, 121 women and girls were victims of rape in Karnali, 11 were victims of attempted rape and 22 were victims of sexual abuse. According to the quarterly statistics of INSEC, 11 girls were victims of rape in Karnali during the period from January to March 2023.

INSEC Karnali Province Coordinator Narayan Subedi has said that law enforcement not strong has not been able to address the increase in rape cases in Karnali. He said that such incidents could be reduced if the perpetrators can be brought under the law. He said that the responsible party, the parents, should be more aware of sexual violence against young girls. These young girls are safe from society and their own families He says that it is also necessary to make the responsible agencies aware of such matters.

The Criminal Code Act, of 2074 has separate provisions for rape and child sexual abuse. Section 219 of the Act criminalizes rape.

Gita Koirala, a lawyer of High Court Surkhet, confirms that rape cases are increasing every year. She says that such incidents are more frequent in the Dalit community. Koirala said that such cases come more often from the Dalit community who are in poor financial condition.

- Prabha Kumari Raut