Young girls in Nepal falling prey to online abuse under the guise of intimacy

Four months ago, 16-year-old Sumana (name changed) from Kumaripati, Lalitpur received a friend request from Ramiz Raja on Facebook. Raja, of Indian origin, saw the teenage girl’s attractive picture in a Facebook friend suggestion and sent the friend proposal.

Sumana also accepted the request, thinking more friends mean more likes and comments. As expected, Raja also liked her posts and would regularly comment “Looking beautiful”. Gradually, Sumana reciprocated.