On August 21, a significant incident occurred where 221 children “escaped” from the Children’s Correctional Home located in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-2, Sano Thimi, after vandalizing the facility. This incident took place due to several issues related to the management and care of the children inside the correctional home.
The trigger for the incident seems to be the death of a 19-year-old Kamal Basnet, who was held in the Children’s Correctional Home for the crime of rape. Following Basnet’s death, the other children in the correctional home expressed anger over the lack of attention to their well-being by the management. This frustration led to the vandalism of the correctional home.
According to the police, the children’s grievances included issues such as not being provided with food and having inadequate health examinations. The children allegedly ransacked the correctional home premises in response to these grievances. During the incident, slogans were raised, homemade weapons were used, and stones were thrown at the office of UCEP, the organization responsible for managing the correctional home.
The District Police Complex, Bhaktapur, reported that among the 221 children who ran away after the incident, 194 have been apprehended from various locations in the Kathmandu Valley. Search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining 27 individuals who are still at large.
However, the incident escalated further, leading to clashes between the police and the children. In the process, 19 policemen were injured due to attacks by the children, and 12 children were also injured during the confrontation with the police. The injured individuals are receiving medical treatment at different hospitals.