Rape Case in Southern Nepal

When: 27 April, 2007

Where: Conscious Media Forum (CMF)

The inhuman incident of rape case that took place in Mahara tole, Maheshpur VDC of Siraha District has become one of the alarming issues of the nation and has astounded everyone.

When the whole country was celebrating Labour Day, a vindictive crime took place in Mahara tole, women of that community were raped by a group of masked men.. Whenever Tarai women are victimized the one who is guilty always escapes out easily and the government till date has not been able to do justice towards these women.

The incident took place Saturday, two in the morning in a community one kilometer south from the Ghurmi river near Mahendra Highway. In the community, where Mahara, Kamati and Paswan Dalit have been living in total 15 households, the looter came in a group of 25-30 with their mask and weapons on. According to the news sources, they looted the cash, some gold and silver ornaments and then attacked the women of the community. Until now only two women have come forward as victims of the rape case but according to the people who were present at the moment told that more than a dozen women were victimized. One woman as told was raped by seven and she is below 20 in age. Out of 25, 23 women were in the village that day. Those who were raped are said to be of under age.

Even after the case was reported the local administration did not took any kind of actions which is a great shame. The police station in Michaiya, only 3 kilometers away reached the spot 16 hours after the incident took place when the victims had reported to the police and the district administration 5 in the morning. "There is no vehicle, after we manage that we will come", were the careless reply of the officials. Not only this but the police has not reported the case till date and has been saying they are preparing a report. The women are in a very poor condition with wounds all over and the doctors are not taking them seriously and only prescribing in a plain paper. In fact, they say it requires police recommendation for treating those women and sending them to the district hospital. The so-called high caste people use the police for their own benefits and this time also police could not do the justice to the innocent women. We strongly object such behaviors.

Rape incidents with the dalit women of Tarai are no more new sensation and until now, the criminals are free and without any charges. The incident is said to be the revenge because these women working in the local cement factory had asked for raise in wage two months earlier. The spouse of the person leading the protest being raped explains the correlation. The Dalits are poor and they have to depend upon the upper class people for their livelihood which is why the women are raped every now and then. If threaten only doesn't work to grab people's land then the women again becomes the victim. To be a woman and poor is to be raped but no attention has been able to reach them.

Because it is a Dalit issue even the local political parties, related agencies or the government is seen unwilling to support. Being unable to disclose this horrible situation and take serious concern it is a black spot in everyone.

We the civil society members, women networks, APACHA Nepal members are seriously concerned about the serious violation of human rights. We want the government to take immediate actions and do justice to the women. At the mean time, we would like to appeal to the larger civil society and political parties to be serious in such cases and respond them with a sense of social accountability and social responsibility.

For more information please contact:
Conscious Media Forum (CMF)
Phone: 4267315
Email: cmfnepal@gmail.com
CMF is the host organization for APACHA Nepal Secretariat