LAMJUNG: The District Police Office, Lamjung has kicked off a three month long Investigation and Control Campaign in an attempt to curb rape in the District.

The campaign was launched amid a programme organised by Area Police Office in Sundar Bazaar Municipality-9 on Thursday.

Speaking at the programme, stakeholders remarked that use of social media has a positive correlation with incidents of rape.

“There has been a rise in incidents of rape because of Facebook, Viber and easily available pornographic contents,” Deputy Superintendent of Police at DPO, Lamjung, Padam Bahadur Bista said. “We registered nine incidents of rape during the current fiscal year.”

Majority of the incidents involved girls below the age of 16, added Bista.

Likewise, law enforcers asserted that illiteracy, alcohol and drug abuse were also the reasons behind increased incidents of sexual assault and rape.

On the other hand, locals pointed out that the accused in rape cases were not convicted due to financial reconciliation between the victims and criminals.

“The victims withdraw the cases due to threats and greed leading to acquittal of the accused,” local Kirti Nath Sapkota said.