Kathmandu, March 31

A 25-year-old woman was critically injured after being assaulted by her brother-in-law (husband’s elder brother) in Dupcheshwor Rural Municipality, Sarlahi yesterday.

According to police, Sanukanchha Tamang, 27, had attacked her with a khukuri in a dispute over a domestic issue. Police have arrested Tamang for legal action. The victim was later referred to National Trauma Centre for treatment.

On March 25, police arrested two persons for allegedly raping a teenage girl in Lamatar of Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur.

Prakash Chaudhary, 28, and Niraj Chaudary, 26, of Dangisharan Rural Municipality, Dang, had lured the 18-year-old girl and raped her.

A 17-year-old girl was raped in a Kalanki-based guest house on March 24. According to police, Bhuwan BK, 38, of Kamalamai Municipality, Siraha had taken the girl to the guest house and raped her.

Acting on a complaint, plainclothes cops of Kalimati-based Metropolitan Police Circle took BK into custody.

When the entire population of the country is under lockdown to avoid exposure to the deadly coronavirus, vulnerable women and children are at constant risk of abuse from their own relatives and acquaintances. Nepal Police have warned that the ongoing lockdown and self-isolation could spur cases of gender-based violence, domestic violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuses. It also said senior citizens, women and children were vulnerable to abuse.

According to data released by Women, Children and Senior Citizens Service Directorate of Nepal Police, 2,230 cases of rape, 786 cases of attempted rape and 14,774 cases of domestic violence were recorded in fiscal 2018-19. Most of those crimes were perpetrated by husbands, relatives and acquaintances of victims.