Feature: Rape of 6-year-old Nepali girl triggers mass demonstrations across nation

Hundreds of Nepali citizens demonstrated at Basantapur Durbar Square here on Wednesday night to express their anger over the brutal rape of Puja Shah, 6, who died in a hospital.

Students, women rights advocates, political and civic leaders, artists and journalists who joined the rally called on the government to arrest the perpetrator and bring him to justice.

The demonstrators carried a mock body of the child covering it with a white cloth with the words reading, "My body, my right".

Protest marches were also underway in other parts of Nepal, including in Bara, home district of rape victim Puja Shah where they carried placards with Beti Bachao Andolaan or "Save our daughters" written in them.

"Rape has been a common incident now. Today it is little Puja. Tomorrow it could be me or even you. No women are safe in our country today," said 23-year-old student Asmita Acharya, who was among the demonstrators. Acharya carried a small hand-made placard with the sign "A tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye. Rapists are murderers! They should be hanged in public!"

On March 8, when the whole world was marking the 105th International Women's Day celebrating the power of women, Puja Shah succumbed to injuries after she was mercilessly abused.

The family members and locals have not cremated the body of the child as they are still waiting for the authorities to arrest the rapist. They said the rapist should be meted the death penalty.

Existing laws in Nepal for the crime of rape are quite lenient compared to those of other countries. The penalties for rape depend on the age of the victim. According to present law, the person who rapes a young girl who is less than 10 years of age would be sentenced for only 10 to 15 years in prison.

Sapana Pradhan Malla, a women right activist who was among the demonstrators, told Xinhua that violence against women in Nepal, including rape, has been on the rise because of the leniency of the laws on rape and other heinous crimes.

"The perpetrator in the crime of rape should be meted the maximum penalty of death. It is the duty of the state to ensure civil protection and that justice should be served," Malla said.

Currently, two or three rape cases are reported every day in Nepal. Some are not even reported to the police. There are also other cases of harassment and violence against women.

Only two weeks ago, two young female students were attacked with acid in the capital, prompting suspicions on the safety of women in Nepal.

Nepal is on the way to promulgate a new constitution that hopes to ensure that the rights of all Nepali people would be respected.

The country's political leaders have all made public pronouncements about the need to provide security to the people and to give justice to the victims of various crimes.

"Justice delayed is justice denied, the old dictum says. This is exactly what is happening now in Nepal," one woman activist said.

Meral Zin Cicek, a visiting women right activist from Kyrgyzstan, said rape is a universal problem, adding that it is time for people around the world to unite against rape.

Gopen Rai, a free-lance photojournalist who joined the demonstration, said rapists should be meted more severe penalties as a deterrent to would-be criminals.

There have been social media campaigns asking for the imposition of life imprisonment or death to people who are found guilty of rape or other heinous crimes. Endi