KATHMANDU, Dec 2: A Nepali man described by UK prosecutors as a “trusted” figure within Peterborough’s close-knit Nepali community has been jailed for a series of sexual offences spanning nearly two decades.
Pramod Dhakal, 49, originally from Kathmandu and currently residing on Grange Road in Peterborough, was convicted at the Cambridge Crown Court of 25 sexual offences against seven girls and one woman. His crimes include the rape of a girl as young as eight, with offending stretching over 17 years.
Dhakal was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with an additional eight years on licence — an extended supervision period following release. The convictions include five counts of raping a child under 13, two counts of raping a child over 13 and numerous other acts of sexual assault. While most offences occurred in Peterborough, at least one victim was abused in London.
Break taboos to reinstate rape victims
According to the court, Dhakal’s perceived position of authority in the local Nepali community — including performing some religious ceremonies — gave him “trusted access” to young girls. Prosecutor Claire Matthews told the court that one victim, who once saw Dhakal as a “second father”, recalled feeling “helpless” and said he told her “it won’t take long”. She said “emotional manipulation silenced me for years” and that “culturally, disclosing this abuse as a child felt impossible.”
Other victims said they believed they were “the only one”, while another declared: “I wish nothing but the absolute worst for him.” Several survivors reported suffering mental breakdowns due to the abuse.
Judge Mark Bishop, noting Dhakal had no previous convictions, said the defendant continued to deny all allegations and displayed “victim-blaming” tendencies. The judge added that Dhakal had “quite bizarrely… taken credit for the achievements” of his victims later in life.
Detective Constable Phillipa Mallett, who led the investigation, said the case underscores that police take reports of historical abuse “extremely seriously”. She praised the survivors for their courage, saying the conviction may have prevented further harm.
Despite some media descriptions of Dhakal as a community figure, the former chair of the Peterborough Nepali Society, Mahesh Adhikari, clarified that Dhakal was not a member of the organisation and was never active in community activities. In recent years, Dhakal had been operating a restaurant business in the area.
