An impoverished family from Chaurpati Rural Municipality in Achham, a hill district of Sudurpaschim Province, is in dire straits as its 12-year-old daughter was allegedly raped repeatedly and impregnated while living in India for work.

The couple had been working in Surat in the Indian state of Gujarat. The victim’s father was employed as a watchman while her mother worked as a domestic help for a long time. A 46-year-old man, a distant relative who lived in the next room of the same house, has been accused of repeatedly raping the minor and threatening to kill her if she disclosed the incident to her parents.

Leaving their only daughter in the rented room, the parents would go to work. The accused is a permanent resident of Chaurpati Rural Municipality in Achham. The parents were unaware of the crime until recently. The girl is now 30 weeks pregnant.

The family came home in the last week of October to celebrate the Tihar festival. They stayed in Nepal because the victim’s 32-year-old mother is also pregnant.

“One day we noticed the daughter’s swollen belly. Thinking that she had a serious ailment, we took her to Bayalpata Hospital for treatment on February 14. It was unbelievable when the doctors told us that she was pregnant,” said the girl’s mother.

“We poor people went to India for work. The culprit ruined our happiness. He is still in India. We will feel justice is served only if he is brought to book,” said the victim’s mother who is due to give birth within a few days.

According to family members, the girl had her first period last May and menstruated three times until June. It is suspected that the perpetrator raped her in June.

The family is now in serious difficulty. The local health post referred the victim’s mother to Bayalpata Hospital for delivery due to pregnancy complications, while the girl was taken to Dhangadhi, the provincial headquarters.

Bayalpata Hospital and Achham District Hospital, citing legal and medical constraints on terminating pregnancies beyond 25 weeks, referred the girl to the Seti Provincial Hospital. After conducting tests, Seti Provincial Hospital told the victim’s family that her abortion was not possible medically and legally. The provincial hospital clearly said that there is no alternative for the 12-year-old pregnant girl other than to give birth.

“My due date is approaching. My husband returned to Achham leaving our daughter in Dhangadhi. I have been restless since learning that my daughter has to give birth. She has to endure a lifetime of suffering for a crime committed by someone else,” lamented the girl’s mother. According to her, the girl is still unaware of her pregnancy.

The victim is currently living at One-stop Crisis Management Centre in Kailali. Doctors at the provincial hospital are working to ensure a safe pregnancy for her. “Nepal’s law does not allow abortion after 28 weeks of pregnancy. But giving birth at the age of 12 is medically very risky. We will try our best to ensure her safe delivery,” said Dr Khagendra Bhatta, a gynaecologist at the provincial hospital. According to him, giving birth at a very young age may lead to various long-term health complications.

On February 16, the victim’s family registered a complaint at the District Police Office against the perpetrator. However, the suspect has yet to be arrested. “The suspect is in India. We are coordinating with the Indian police to detain him,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishwari Prasad Bhandari.