When Justice Fails the Most Vulnerable

The rape and murder of 16-year-old Inisha BK of Surkhet has once again shaken the nation. Public outrage and street protests in the wake of such brutality are both natural and justified. Yet outrage alone will not break this vicious cycle. The more urgent question is why Dalit women and girls are disproportionately targeted. The state, society and political leadership must confront this reality with honesty and sensitivity. This is not an isolated crime—it is organised violence rooted in caste, gender, poverty and power. The majority of rape victims involving Dalit women and girls in Nepal is no coincidence; it reflects deep structural injustice. Centuries of untouchability, humiliation, poverty, devaluation of labour, limited access to education and political neglect have left Dalit communities acutely vulnerable. When a group is perceived as weak, voiceless or unable to resist, perpetrators see easy targets. Rape against Dalit women and girls, therefore, cannot be viewed merely as an individual crime—it is also a violent assertion of social dominance. Economically, Dalit communities remain among the most marginalised. A disproportionate share of Nepal’s poor belong to this group. Many families are landless, reliant on unstable incomes, and confined to low-paid labour with limited opportunities. In such conditions, pursuing justice becomes an uphill battle. From police stations to courts, justice demands time, money and access—resources many victims lack. As a result, cases are often suppressed, settled informally or silenced through financial inducements. This fosters a dangerous culture of impunity, emboldening perpetrators.