Kathmandu, Aug. 25 -- The brutal rape and killing of a three-year-old girl in Bara last week continues to shock the public. The case has raised questions not only about the government's handling of the incident but also about Nepal's existing legal framework.

Six days after the incident, the government on Saturday reached an agreement with the victim's family. But throughout the episode, the government, news organisations, social media users and rights activists have repeatedly failed to protect the deceased child's privacy.

Government ministers involved in the response themselves violated legal provisions requiring the victim's identity to be kept confidential.

Even the agreement reached between the government and the victim's family,...