'Human rights activists becoming target of perpetrators'

Hetauda, Makawanpur,  Human right activists fighting against violence against women (VAW) are becoming target of perpetrators lately, said a woman right activist Aarati Pathak. 
Talking to Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Pathak, also the district chairperson of the Human Defendant Network, an NGO working against human trafficking, said, "We are into this profession without ill intention. Our work is to provide justice to victims. We are in a mission against rape, VAW and human trafficking. But we are receiving even death threats." 
Maya Lama, who works for Makawanpur district branch of Maiti Nepal, also echoed Pathak saying threats have affected work of human rights activists. 
"Rape also dents self-dignity of the victim deeply. Although the victim get justice, the negative attitudes associated with rape and discrimination against the victim in the society do not subside causing long term physical and psychological effects on the victim and her family as well," she said. 
Mother of a six-year-old girl of Hetauda, who was raped by her school teacher recently, is finding it difficult to fight and live in the society due to the negative attitude attached to the incident. 
"The incident has made it difficult for my daughter (victim) and the whole family to face and live in the society," she said. 
According to data with the District Police Office, 16 cases of rape were lodged in the 2069\70 fiscal year to stand 33 cases in the FY 2073\74. 
Most of the perpetrators in those cases that range teenage to 80 years in age have been given a clean chit. Women right activists blamed failure to collect evidences for perpetrators walking free. 
Dipa Karki, in-charge of the Women and Children Service Centre of the DPO, said cases of domestic violence and rape become weaker due to failure to gather substantive evidences. 
---