KATHMANDU, June 15: The number of reported rape cases continues to rise despite strict laws in Nepal, the latest data from the Nepal Police said.  

The incidents of rape were found sharply increased over the past year, the data said.

According to the data maintained by Nepal Police Headquarters, the incidents of forceful rape increased by 18% this year compared to last year.

Spokesperson of the Nepal Police, Bishwaraj Pokharel, told Republica Online that Nepal Police has been actively working to control the criminal cases by organizing various awareness programs.

“There are still many rape cases which have been not been reported to the police for several reasons including social taboos and perceived fear”, Pokharel added.

The Nepal Police data suggests that 1623 rape cases were registered across the country in the first eight months of the Fiscal Year 2018/19. Likewise, approximately per day six and per month 185 rape cases were registered in the Nepal Police.

A lawyer at the Nepal Women Commission (NWC) Bimala Khadka, who deals with cases of violence against women, said that rape cases should be handled properly as these cases are sensitive.

Rape is one of the crimes frequently reported to the NWC. According to authorities, rape was enlisted as one of the top 10 incidents of violence against women in the NWC report.

Each year, the data shows that rape cases have been increasing rapidly.  A majority of the rape victims were from the age group of 11-16 years, according to data from the Nepal Police.

In the eight months of the current fiscal year, 440 girls from the age group were subjected to rape.

A total of 1,480 rape cases were recorded across the country in the fiscal year 2017/18 and 1,137 were registered in the fiscal year 2016/17.

 
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