A group of youths demonstrated at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu on Saturday to press the government to make public the report submitted by a committee formed to probe the July rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur.

Protesters chanted slogans against the government and asked Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to resign for ineffective investigation into the heinous crime.

“The culprit has yet to be arrested and the government hasn’t revealed the details of the investigation conducted over the dubious probe by police officials. It seems clear that they are hiding something important, maybe the culprit, from the public,” said Pritam Subedi, a social rights activist.

Protesters also demanded harsher action for rapists than just jail sentences. The maximum jail term for a rapist mentioned in the new Criminal Code is 20 years. The penalty is life imprisonment if the victim is below 10 years, disabled or a woman above 70 years.

“Rapists are sent to jail if arrested and are treated with proper love and care with the tax that the victims pay. Jail sentence is not a harsh action for heinous crimes such as rape in the present context. They should be castrated,” Ranju Darshana, a central committee member of the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, told the Post at the protest venue.

Concerned about the reports of rape and violence against women on a daily basis, protesters also pressed the government to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. “If a guy comes with the intention of raping a girl, I believe that even self-defence techniques will not save her,” said Raziya Banu, a women’s rights activist.

Protesters also demanded that the government reverse its ban on pornographic content online and legalise prostitution arguing that it would help people satisfy their sexual desires.

“If prostitution is legalised with proper supervision, people will have a way to fulfil their sexual desires and the incidents of sexual violence can be reduced,” said Banu.