Hetauda, Oct. 13 -- A total of 253 rape cases were recorded across 10 districts of Bagmati Province in the last fiscal year, including 73 incidents involving minors, according to the Provincial Police Office, Hetauda.

Despite most perpetrators being arrested and prosecuted, authorities say rape cases have not declined. Alarmingly, incidents of sexual violence against elderly women have also been reported.

In Makawanpur, an 80-year-old woman was raped on March 13 by a 57-year-old relative, who has since been remanded in custody. During the same fiscal year, 41 women were raped in Makawanpur alone, 28 of them minors aged between four and sixteen. Police reports show that many of the victims were assaulted by neighbours or family members....