Most rape cases in Nepal are either swept under the rug or hushed up based on ‘community consensus’. One of the most haunting examples of this is the tragic July 2018 rape-and-murder of Nirmala Pant. Many governments came and went, political parties made her case a tool to win votes in elections, but the perpetrator/s continue to roam free. In 2021, a similar fate befell Bhagrathi Bhatta, a teenager from Baitadi who was raped and subsequently murdered. The exoneration of perpetrators, often with community backing, has further emboldened such acts.

In a recent case from Siraha, locals called an informal village mediation, panchayat, to ‘settle’ the gang rape of Rinku Kumari Sada. Instead of immediately taking the matter to the police, they reportedly fined the perpetrators Rs140,000 and prevented the victim’s family from filing a legal case. Shortly after, Sada’s family members were forced to accept the settlement. Following this, Sada was found hanging in her home. However, thus far only Rupesh Mandal—the prime suspect—has been arrested, while investigations continue into the other two accused as well as five locals who tried to ‘mediate’.

Siraha panchayat’s attempt to dismiss the case is one of many where young women and girls suffer abuse at the hands of their male family members, close relatives, and immediate social circle. The UN report “Femicides in 2023” says home is the most dangerous place for women—a reality that resonates in Nepal. In 2022 alone, there were 2,387 complaints of marital rape, with more 1,500 cases recorded as of mid-March 2023. Yet given the widespread efforts to cover up such crimes, these figures are likely to be gross underestimates.

Similarly, a 2021 report titled “Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors” highlights prolonged delays in investigation, medical examination, prosecution and trials in sexual violence cases. It also points out that perpetrators are often set free on bail. Alarmingly, among the survivors interviewed across Bangladesh, India and Nepal, more than 60 percent were put under pressure to settle the cases. Widespread bribery and corruption created further obstacles to justice in Nepal, including Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. A victim-centric approach is missing. The statute of limitations on rape—two years for adults, and within three years of turning 18 for minors—only adds another layer of injustice to women survivors if they want to press charges later.

What is clearly lacking across the country is even minimal respect for women as human beings. The entrenched patriarchal mindset continues to regard them as second-class citizens, giving men the supposed right to control women. Sensitising men about the psychological and physical trauma that the victims of sexual violence face is vital—and such efforts should continue. Yet it would be foolish to believe that soundbites of expected good male behaviour alone can remove deep biases. Only if the perpetrators of these crimes are legally (and harshly) punished will there be a visible dent in the number of cases of extreme abuse against women.