Kathmandu, April 3

Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu is preparing to conduct an anti-rape campaign with active participation of the public and stakeholders to raise awareness about prevention of sexual assault of women and girls.

Speaking at a programme organised in Nepal Police Club, Bhrikutimandap, today, SSP Bishwa Raj Pokharel, MPR in-charge, said, “Police alone cannot fight the epidemic of a henious crime like rape.

Therefore, we will launch a massive anti-rape campaign with participation of the public and stakeholders. The increasing incidents of sexual assault against women and girls can be eliminated only if awareness is brought to each village, town, school, organisation and family.”

SSP Pokharel also encouraged the victims to come forward and file FIR against the perpetrators without any delay and fear. “In some cases, we have found the alleged victims confused as to whether or not they should report to police. The victims should not delay in filing a case with the police to ensure that evidences against the crime are not destroyed,” he suggested.

The chief of Kathmandu police vowed to enhance the capacity of police to carry out result-oriented and evidence-based criminal investigation, besides raising awareness about rape.

DSP Mohan Thapa, litigation officer at MPR, informed that Kathmandu had registered 89 rape cases till April of the running fiscal 2018-19 compared to 92 in 2015/16, 99 in 2016/17 and 112 in 2017, which show the upward trend. He admitted that even police officers engaged in investigation of rape cases were not serious about initiating action against perpertators as per the laws.

Recently, Nepal Police had initiated action against DSP Tilak Bharati, Inspector Laxman Singh Thakuri and Sub-Inspector Chandra Bahadur Bhandari for allegedly luring a rape victim with money into signing a reconciliation paper with the main perpetrator in connection with the January 21 gang rape in Landmark Hotel, Durbar Marg.

“Bearing this in mind, we are also planning to conduct orientation for police personnel to make criminal investigation more effective and ensure security for the victims,” DSP Thapa said.

As per police reports, victims are often threatened, lured and given false promise of marriage after rape. Rape victims generally fall in the age group of 10 to 50. Mobile population, misuse of Internet and social networking sites and poor implementation of laws are attributed to increasing incidents of rape in Kathmandu. Many cases goes unreported as victims are often too scared to come forward to lodge complaints of rape due to fear of retribution and social stigma.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, also organised an interaction to discuss ways to end sexual violence against women and girls.