Poverty main reason behind suicide: Police

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police says as many as 9,494 people committed suicide from August 15, 2007 till date in the country. Among them, 80 per cent were between 25 to 50 years of age (a person’s most productive years).

Of the 9,494 suicide cases, 4,746 were women. Deputy Inspector General of Police Nawa Raj Dhakal said poverty was the single main cause of suicide with 55 per cent of reported cases.

“Heavy financial burden and poverty are major factors driving people to depression and subsequently to suicide,” he noted. “Our statistics reveal that

suicide is a prime cause of

death in the country”.

During the period, the highest number of suicides was recorded in the Western Region with 2,178 followed by the Central Region (1,968), Mid Western Region (1,646), Eastern Region (1,598), Far Eastern Region (1,201) and the Valley (903). DIG Dhakal informed that hanging, self-poisoning, setting fire, jumping off to death and using weapons were the favoured means of killing oneself.

“Committing suicide by hanging oneself is most used, followed by self-poisoning, setting fire, jumping off to death, using weapon and drowning,” said DIG Dhakal. During the period, 5,164 committed suicide by hanging themselves, both indoor and outdoor followed by jumping to death (4746). Geographically speaking, Tarai recorded the highest number of suicides (53 per cent).

“Higher density of population, domestic violence spurred by the social evil of dowry system and urban poverty were mainly to blame for suicides in the Tarai belt,” reasoned DIG Dhakal.

Police statistics also show that literate people were more vulnerable to suicide than their illiterate counterparts due to unemployment, insecurity, frustration and their concern about the future.

The study also mentions rape. December 2009 saw the lowest instance of reported rape — 19. The victims range from toddlers to the elderly. More than 30 were gang-raped.