KATHMANDU, Nov 26: The United Nations has urged all relevant authorities to urgently follow due process and ensure that the perpetrator behind the rape and murder of a minor in Bardibas, Mahottari is held accountable.

The UN Office of the Resident Coordinator in Nepal in a press statement said the UN in Nepal strongly condemns the rape and killing of a six-year-old girl in Bardibas, which has been reported in the media.

This incident happened on the eve of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign and has highlighted the critical need to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.  “The campaign calls on governments, civil society and individuals to speak out and act to bring about the changes within our society and culture that perpetuate gender-based violence, at times with impunity. When incidents do occur, due process should be followed and perpetrators held accountable for their actions,” it said in a statement.

The UN in Nepal also pledged its full support to prioritize and adopt actions to address the needs of victims and survivors of violence and ensure that collective response and recovery efforts uphold their rights, including their right to live a life free from violence. “Every survivor of GBV must be able to receive the full range of care that she or they need and deserve, including urgent medical attention and access to follow-up health services, psychosocial care, and protection and justice services,” the UN said further in the statement. “These services must be informed by continuous data collection to improve delivery and safety standards.”

While holding perpetrators to account is critical at this stage, the UN would like to stress the fact that gender-based violence can be prevented. Doing justice to this little girl requires action to protect all women and girls in Nepal from violence. “We urge demonstrators and security forces to raise their voice responsibly and to show restraint to avoid a further escalation of the situation,” it added.

The dead body of a six-year-old girl, who was kidnapped from Bardibas-14 of Mahottari district, was found on Monday evening. The situation in Bardibas remained tense until the local administration and the agitating locals reached a four-point agreement on Wednesday.

The situation turned further tense in Bardibas after a local Sanjaya Neupane succumbed to bullet injuries as police used force to disperse the agitating crowd. The local administration had clamped a curfew in order to contain the violent situation since early morning on Wednesday.

 
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