46 per cent victims of sexual violence minors, report says

Kathmandu, September 27

Women Rehabilitation Centre today said incidents of sexual offences against minors were growing at an alarming rate.

A press statement issued here by WOREC today said that most sexual crimes go unreported due to the existing culture of blaming women for the crimes. “Women and girls are not safe whether they are at home, school, workplace or on the streets.

Victims of rape and sexual abuse refrain from reporting abuse to the police for fear of social stigma and ostracisation by their relatives and society.”

The report further said the culture of impunity had further victimised women and girls while the perpetrators walked free.

The report said that WOREC had documented a total of 95 cases of violence against women in the month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September), of which 39 per cent were victims of physical torture, 24 per cent were victims of mental torture, 10 per cent of rape, 8 per cent of polygamy, 7 per cent of other types of violence such as abduction and denial of resources, 6 per cent of verbal abuse, and 2 per cent each of attempt to rape, sexual abuse, and accusation of witchcraft.

The report states that 46 per cent of the victims of sexual violence were minors below the age of 16 years, and 54 per cent of the victims belonged to the age group of 17 to 30 years.

In 31 per cent of sexual crimes, the perpetrators were found to be family members.

Similarly, 23 per cent of the perpetrators were neighbours or strangers, 15 per cent were the victims’ husbands, and 8 per cent were the victims’ romantic partners.