Rautahat, Sept. 21 -- Children in Madhesh Province are facing serious risks of abduction, sexual violence and murder, with a series of recent cases showing how unsafe some children are in their own neighbourhoods.

A 15-month-old boy disappeared while playing outside his house in ward 6 of Bideha Municipality in Dhanusha on September 3. Police rescued him 11 days later, about 300 metres from his home. A 41-year-old woman from ward 9 of Kamala Municipality was detained on suspicion of kidnapping the toddler.

The child's disappearance from right outside his home left his family and the entire neighbourhood in fear. A search involving around 60 police personnel and a trained sniffer dog was launched.

According to investigating officers, th...