RUDRA KHADKA
NEPALGUNJ, Sept 16: Women tricked into trafficking have been reluctant to move court as majority of the accused easily get away with impunity.
Of late, there has been a massive increase in the number of migrant women workers, who return home after undergoing immense hardship and torture, while many others have reportedly gone missing.
As per the Human Trafficking Act, the traffickers may face up to 20 years imprisonment. But the victims have become skeptical about the prospects of justice and stopped lodging complaints against the offenders.
Nanda Kala Bhushal of Rajhena-7 had lodged a complaint against fellow villagers Chandra Lal Sapkota and Purna Kala Sapkota who had sent her to Saudi Arabia two years ago but the duo have been released on date.
Bhushal was rescued by Nepali workers in Saudi Arabia after 10 months of sexual abuse by her employers. “They (the manpower agents) had said that I would be provided with a decent work while sending me via India but the situation was totally different there,” Bhushal said. “I was not given anything apart from a set of clothes despite complying with all their demands.”
Similarly, Gyanu Oli of Urahi, Dang, who was arrested from Rupaidiya last year while trying to take Kamala BK, Pramila BK and Goma BK of the village to Saudi Arabia through India was also released on date.
Women Development Office said only five persons accused of human trafficking have been punished in the last three years. “We don´t know why the accused have not been punished. But the victims have been discouraged after many of the accused have gone scot-free,” said woman development officer Shobha Shah.
She said leniency on the part of authorities has emboldened the offenders and the trend of sending women to the Gulf countries and India for menial work and sex trade continues as ever. “We ourselves have lost hope as many accused got clean chits though we had sufficient proofs against them,” Coordinator of Maiti Nepal, Nepalgunj Keshav Koirala rued.
Twenty-four cases of human trafficking were recorded in Banke District Court over the past three years but the verdict has come in just 10 cases with five of the accused getting clean chits.
Source:http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php? action=news_details&news_id=23360