A 15-year-old boy from ward 6 of Sharada Municipality allegedly raped his neighbour’s six-year-old daughter on December 23 last year. The girl’s family filed a police complaint against the teenager after the incident came to light. The accused was arrested 20 days after the alleged incident and is currently in police custody.

On November 1, 2023, a man from Panchapuri Municipality, Surkhet, filed a complaint against his father at the District Police Office, stating that his father raped his 15-year-old sister. Shortly after filing the complaint, the son was found dead. According to the District Police, the father was arrested from Tikapur, Kailali a week ago.

On July 14 of the same year, a 14-year-old girl from ward 10 of Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet, was allegedly raped by her own father. According to the police, the accused was arrested after a complaint was filed against the father by other members of the family.

According to Karnali Province Police Office, in the past five fiscal years, there have been 23 cases of fathers committing rape against their own daughters, 13 cases involving brothers as perpetrators, and 68 cases where other family members were involved in rape.

Senior Superintendent of Police Bir Bahadur Bali, spokesman of the province police office, said that among the 10 districts of the province, the highest number of rape cases were reported from Salyan and Surkhet.

“In most of the cases, crimes were committed mostly under the influence of alcohol,” said Bali. “Daughters are not safe even from their own fathers and brothers.”

Salyan reported the highest number of rape cases in Karnali province this year. According to the District Police Office, Salyan, in the fiscal year 2022-23, three complaints of rape were registered, and in the five and a half months of the current fiscal year, there have been 16 complaints of rape and three of attempted rapes. “Most of the perpetrators of these crimes are family members,” said Bali.

Even though the district police office and local units have been conducting various awareness campaigns to reduce murder and violence, especially violence against women, their efforts have not been successful in reducing the number of rape cases in Salyan.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Nabin Karki of the District Police Office, Salyan, said that rape incidents of rape are increasing, especially in the rural areas of the district, and more than 80 percent of these cases occurred inside the house.

“Despite our repeated efforts, the awareness campaigns have not been effective. We are therefore discussing new measures with security personnel, rights activists, and non-governmental organisations to put an end to this,” said Nabin Karki.

According to Mina Budhathoki, a women’s rights activist and psycho-social consultant, due to alcohol addiction, rise in unemployment, and internet misuse, discord inside the family is on the rise. Acts of violence against one’s own family members are a result of the dissatisfaction and anger, says Budhathoki.

“Among the crimes committed inside households, the victims are mostly women and girls who are afraid of society’s reaction if they go to the authorities, which is to say that a lot of these crimes go unreported. Often, after incidents of rape and domestic violence, women and girls feel helpless and see self-harm as the only option left to them. The incidents do not come to light because the family members do not want such crimes to be reported,” said Budathoki. “All efforts are in vain until the government intervenes and introduces stringent laws against violence, especially rape.”