A resolution motion has been registered in the National Assembly demanding removal of the statute of limitations in rape cases.
Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Kamala Panta has registered the motion at the Federal Parliament Secretariat on Thursday.
The motion has been supported by eight other lawmakers including Bimala Rai Paudyal, Pramila Kumari Yadav, Khimlal Devkota, Bimala Ghimire, Madan Kumari Shah, Shekhar Kumar Singh, Ganga Kumari Balbase and Tul Prasad Bishwokarma.
The motion points that minors may not be able to report case of rapes due to physical and mental trauma, threats, greed or other reasons resulting in impunity for the perpetrators and demands removal of the statute of limitations in the Act Related to Children.
It has also called for review and reconsideration, and necessary amendment of such statute of limitations in the Criminal Code regarding rape of adults.
The statute of limitations requires that a rape case be filed within a year of offense if the victim is an adult, and within a year of the victim completing 18 years if the victim is a minor.
The issue has come to the fore after a woman, now 24, recently accused promoter of Model Global Visas Consultancy Manoj Pandey of drugging and raping her when she was 16.
Pandey has since been arrested and remanded to police custody for investigation.
