Outrage in Nepal over rape and murder of three-year-old girl

Activists and politicians in Nepal have urged the government to enact tougher laws as the alleged rape and murder of a three-year-old girl has caused outrage across the country.

Nepal has seen continued protests since the girl was found dead last week, three days after she went missing in Madhesh province.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the case, a local police spokesman told the BBC.

The crime has triggered demands for reform. Police have also been accused of negligence in the initial stages of the investigation after footage of a teenage suspect was leaked onto social media.

After days of demonstrations in the city of Simara, the victim’s family met government ministers, and secured a written agreement over the weekend.

The government has promised to review laws on serious offences, and create a memorial in honour of the child.

The incident has also opened a wider debate over how Nepal deals with young offenders, with some campaigners pushing for harsher punishments for minors convicted of rape or murder.

Prominent human rights activist Gauri Pradhan called the attack a “very painful incident and the government should punish anyone involved in such atrocious act. There should be some serious efforts for wider reforms”.

However, he cautioned against calls for the introduction of the death penalty.

There has also been anger after a video showing a teenage suspect giving a statement about the suspected murder was uploaded to social media, sparking questions as to how footage recorded during a police investigation was leaked.

“We have so far found one police personnel directly involved in the [leak] and have initiated action against him,” chief district officer of Bara district, Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, told the BBC.

“If more officers are found, they will also be punished. We have zero tolerance against such practice.”

More than 25,500 accusations of rape and sexual abuse were filed between July 2017 to July 2025, according to Nepalese Police.

Of these cases, more than 3,200 female victims were under the age of 10, the police say.