'A Difficult Transition: The Nepal Papers', edited by Seira Tamang and Mandira Sharma, launched! #UndoingImpunity pic.twitter.com/GQwtr9s1RS

— Zubaan Books (@ZubaanBooks) June 15, 2016 KATHMANDU: A study conducted in Nepal has shown that perpetrators of sexual violence during the Maoist insurgency have not yet been held liable for their crimes. Its report ‘A Difficult Transition: The Nepal Papers’ was made public by scholar Meena Acharya amid a programme jointly organised by Martin Chautari and Delhi-based publication house, Zubaan, in Patan today. 'The Nepal Papers' is one among the eight volumes published by the Zubaan Books incorporating findings of a full research project simultaneously carried out in Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The study was led by the Zubaan, in coordination with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, looking after the situation of sexual violence in the South Asian nations. Though Nepal has ensured women’s safety legally, the study has expressed its concern over the 35-day limitation to file complaints in rape cases stating that it might provide impunity to the criminals. There are greater chances of a person being held liable for killing a cow than for the sexual crimes, the report stated. The report includes interactions with practitioners, including activists, lawyers and forensic experts, and is based on what they have said. Furthermore, it has remarked lack of attention given to the issues by the stakeholders such as journalists, human rights defenders and the state institutions. The report has envisioned a New Nepal free of sexual violence with an end to the lack of social security and availability of forensic facilities to investigate into the related cases.