Corona Stories – Radhika Gautam
Radhika Gautam was just a 15 year old girl when she was abducted by an official of the Royal Nepal Army during Nepal’s armed conflict. She was taken to the Suitar Barrack of Makwanpur and held captive in the army camp. She was repeatedly assaulted sexually and tortured; repercussions of which still echo in her mental and physical health. She underwent 4 surgeries just to help her uterus recover and spends almost 15 thousand rupees ($150) a month to afford her medicines. Years later, the crime only seems to affect the victim as her criminal walks around with his head held high. Her case has been running in the Supreme Court for 13 years now and justice is yet to be served. In times of crisis like the ongoing pandemic, conflict victims are affected more adversely than others.