Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a 14-year-old Dalit girl who had been raped. It was carried out by a non-Dalit male named Santosh Shrestha (19). He is an eighth-grade student at the local Saraswoti Secondary School. After raping the girl, Santosh tried to kill her by slashing her with a sickle, and gouging out her left eye. It was only after the girl told the Doctors at the hospital in Dharan what had happened, that the Police were informed. Santosh has been arrested and brought to Bhojpur for investigation and interrogation.
CASE DETAILS:
On 28 October 2017, a 14 year-old Dalit girl, resident of Amchowk-9, Dummana of Bhojpur District went to get grass for the family cattle. Santosh Shrestha followed her in to the jungle.
Santosh subdued and dragged her to a nearby gorge where he raped her. After raping the girl, the culprit also beat her, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. While raping her, Santosh scratched her face and eyes. The girl tried to resist, but Santosh was stronger, well-built and able to easily restrain her. He then gouged out her left eye. When the girl became unconscious, Santosh fled, thinking that she was dead.
The girl returned home at around 5 p.m. only half-conscious. She sustained slash wounds from the sickle all over her body. As she was afraid to tell her family that she had been raped, the girl told her brother and sister-in-law that she fell off the cliff while fetching grass. Her relatives carried her to the main road to hire a vehicle to drop them at Ranitar. As they could not find an ambulance, they hired a Jeep and brought the girl to Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) for examination and treatment. It was now 29 October 2017, a day later.
After examining the girl, the Doctors became suspicious. They did not believe that she fell off a cliff. They asked her to give them some details. After the Doctors insisted for some time, the girl relented and told them that she had been raped, giving them particulars about the incident.
Their examination confirmed that the girl had been raped.
Doctors then telephoned the Ward Chairperson, Bam Bahadur Shrestha, requesting that Santosh be arrested. The Ward Chairperson informed the Area Police Office. Police Officers came and arrested Santosh, sending him to Bhojpur for interrogation.
Dalit- Rights activists, including the Central Committee member of Naya Shakti Nepal, Dal Mardan Kami, requested that the Hospital waive its customary fees and provide free treatment for the girl.
Due to the delay of one day before receiving treatment, the girl lost her left eye.
The Asian Human Rights Commission requests the Police to promptly open an investigation and book Santosh Shrestha on the two charges of rape and attempt to murder. The victim must receive immediate medical and psychological counseling until she is satisfactorily recovered. THE GIRL MUST RECEIVE JUSTICE.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following Authorities, calling on them to take all necessary action.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on minority issues in that context, for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
NEPAL: Dalit girl raped and left eye gouged out
Name of victim: 14 year-old Dalit girl
Alleged Perpetrator: 19 year-old male Santosh Shrestha
Date of incident: 28 October 2017 to present
Place of incident: Amchowk-9, Dummana of Bhojpur District, Nepal
I am writing to voice my deep concern as I came to know that a 14-year-old Dalit girl had been raped by a non-Dalit male named Santosh Shrestha (19). He is an eighth-grade student at the local Saraswoti Secondary School.
On 28 October 2017, a 14 year-old Dalit girl, resident of Amchowk-9, Dummana of Bhojpur District went to get grass for the family cattle. Santosh Shrestha followed her in to the jungle.
Santosh subdued and dragged her to a nearby gorge where he raped her. After raping the girl, the culprit also beat her, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. While raping her, Santosh scratched her face and eyes. The girl tried to resist, but Santosh was stronger, well-built and able to easily restrain her. He then gouged out her left eye. When the girl became unconscious, Santosh fled, thinking that she was dead.
The girl returned home at around 5 p.m. only half-conscious. She sustained slash wounds from the sickle all over her body. As she was afraid to tell her family that she had been raped, the girl told her brother and sister-in-law that she fell off the cliff while fetching grass. Her relatives carried her to the main road to hire a vehicle to drop them at Ranitar. As they could not find an ambulance, they hired a Jeep and brought the girl to Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) for examination and treatment. It was now 29 October 2017, a day later.
After examining the girl, the Doctors became suspicious. They did not believe that she fell off a cliff. They asked her to give them some details. After the Doctors insisted for some time, the girl relented and told them that she had been raped, giving them particulars about the incident.
Their examination confirmed that the girl had been raped.
Doctors then telephoned the Ward Chairperson, Bam Bahadur Shrestha, requesting that Santosh be arrested. The Ward Chairperson informed the Area Police Office. Police Officers came and arrested Santosh, sending him to Bhojpur for interrogation.
Dalit- Rights activists, including the Central Committee member of Naya Shakti Nepal, Dal Mardan Kami, requested that the Hospital waive its customary fees and provide free treatment for the girl.
Due to the delay of one day before receiving treatment, the girl lost her left eye.
I request the Police to promptly open an investigation and book Santosh Shrestha on the two charges of rape and attempt to murder. The victim must receive immediate medical and psychological counseling until she is satisfactorily recovered. The girl must receive justice.
I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
P.O. Box: 23312
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4211000
Fax: +977 1 4211086
Email: info@opmcm.gov.np
2. Mr. Anupraj Sharma
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Pulchowk, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 55 47973
Tel: +977 1 5010015
E-mail: complaints@nhrcnepal.org or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org
3. Mr. Basant Ram Bhandari
Attorney General
Office of Attorney General
Ramshah Path, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4240210, +977 1 4262548, +977 1 4262394
Fax: +977 1 4262582 / 4218051
Email: info@attorneygeneral.gov.np
4. Mr. Prakash Aryal
Inspector General of Police
Police Head Quarters
Naxal, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Tel: +977 1 4412432
Email: phqigs@nepalpolice.gov.np
5. Mr. Sitaram Ghale
Member Secretary
National Dalit Commission
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 5531148
Phone: +977 1 5531148
Email: info@ndc.gov.np
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
