Kathmandu, August 21

Officials of Central Child Welfare Board, with the help of Nepal Police, rescued nine children from an illegally operated child care centre here today.

Police have arrested three persons who were working for the child care centre. According to police, the centre was not registered with government bodies. Police have suspected that those arrested were involved in sexually abusing children in the care centre. Among the children rescued today, five were girls and four were boys. All the children were aged between four and 11. They were rescued from Namuna Pragatisil Mahila Samaj, a social welfare organisation working for women, at Bafal of Nagarjun Municipality, Kathmandu. The organisation was not authorised to operate child centre, according to the officials of Central Child Welfare Board.

Inspector Mohan Bikram Dahal of National Centre for Children at Risk, Bhrikuti Mandap, said they had received information that some children were kept at Namuna Pragatisil Mahila Samaj illegally and they were denied basic human needs, including good food and comfortable living condition. “They were even deprived of education and boys and girls were compelled to live in the same room,” he added.

“Upon reaching there we found that the children were living in a pathetic condition. Two girls living there even hinted that they were sexually abused by the employees of the centre,” he added.

Metropolitan Police Circle, Swoyambhu, has arrested Ratna Bahadur Pariyaar, 35, Sujit Rayamajhi, 40, and Pratap Rana, 45, from the centre, who were working there. Rana has been accused of molesting the girls, according to police. All of the children have been sent to an emergency rescue centre of Child Workers in Nepal. A couple of girls said that someone at the centre used to touch them inappropriately at night, according to Sagar Bhandari, assistant manager of child helpline at CWIN. “We think it’s a clear case of child sexual abuse, but it will take few more days to bring out the truth,” Bhandari said. DSP Lal Dhoj Subedi of Metropolitan Police Circle, Swoyambhu also said they would file a case of molestation if recommended by the Central Child Welfare Board and other stakeholders. Kopila Kunwar, operator of the centre, refuted all allegations saying that the centre had housed the children as per the requests of their parents, who were living in Kathmandu in rented rooms.

Among nine children, three are from Bardiya district, other three from Kailali, two from Kalikot and one is from Jumla district. Operation of Children’s Home-2019 requires a children’s home to have adequate space and rooms for eating, sleeping and studying.