Child Sexual Abuse Law in Nepal 2026 — Penalty Guide

Under Sec 219(3): victim under 10 — 16-20 yrs; under 14 — 14-16 yrs; under 16 — 12-14 yrs; 16-18 — 10-12 yrs. Aggravation adds further imprisonment.

No. Section 220 incest carries no statute of limitation — prosecution can be filed at any time after the offence is disclosed, recognising delayed disclosure by child victims.

Section 219 is the principal rape provision of the Penal Code 2074. It criminalises non-consensual sexual intercourse (including with someone under the age of consent of 18) and sets the age-graded penalty ladder. Sub-section (2) defines the age-of-consent rule; sub-section (3) sets the imprisonment range by victim age; sub-section (4) adds aggravation for HIV-positive offender, gang rape, weapon use, victim being pregnant or disabled. Marital rape carries up to 5 years under sub-section (5).

Section 225 of the Penal Code 2074 criminalises non-penetrative child sexual abuse — taking a child to a lonely place for sexual purpose, inappropriate touching, involving a child in unusual sexual behaviour, and conduct demonstrating intent to engage in sexual intercourse. Penalty up to 3 years' imprisonment plus NPR 30,000 fine. The section is the principal charge for grooming-stage conduct, child molestation short of rape, and inappropriate physical contact in care, education and family settings.

Section 220 of the Penal Code 2074 — natural parent-child incest carries life imprisonment. Step-parent / step-child and sibling incest carries 4 to 10 years' imprisonment. Incest with grandparents, uncles, aunts and similar second-degree relations carries 3 to 6 years. The section operates regardless of the apparent consent of the child or younger relative. There is no statute of limitation under Section 220 — prosecution can be filed at any time after the offence is disclosed.

The 2022 amendment to the Penal Code 2074 limitation provisions extended the rape complaint window from 1 year to 2 years (general) and 3 years (where the victim is a minor, disabled person, or elderly person). The amendment came in response to evidence that the 1-year window was too short for many rape cases, particularly where the victim is a child or in a position of vulnerability. The longer window for child victims recognises that disclosure often occurs months or years after the offence. Incest under Section 220 separately has no limitation.

Section 66 of the Act Relating to Children 2075 (2018) prohibits showing obscene material to a child, displaying child pornography, distributing or storing child pornography, proposing / luring / coercing sexual activity, online grooming, sexting / sending sexual material to a minor, and touching / kissing / holding sensitive body parts with sexual intent. Penalty up to NPR 75,000 fine plus up to 3 years' imprisonment. Position-of-trust aggravation (parent, guardian, teacher, religious figure, doctor) raises the penalty. Section 67 covers commercial sexual exploitation.

Online CSA is charged primarily under Children Act 2075 Section 66 (online grooming, sexting, indecent material) with parallel Electronic Transactions Act 2063 Section 47 (illegal material online) exposure. The Cyber Bureau of CIB Nepal Police investigates device forensics, social-media account traces, and server logs. A FWLD 2023 analysis flagged that the ETA does not have a specific CSAM (child sexual abuse material) offence — the gap is bridged through Children Act + ETA combination charging. International cooperation with INTERPOL and platforms operates on takedown and offender identification.

No. Section 13 of the Victim and Witness Protection Act 2075, alongside the confidentiality framework of the Children Act 2075, prohibits publication of the identity of a child sexual abuse victim — name, photograph, address, school, family details, or any combination that would identify the child. Media reports must use generic identifiers (initials, age range, district). Breach attracts statutory penalty and civil liability to the child and family. Journalists, social-media users and content creators are bound by the prohibition.

File at the nearest Women, Children & Senior Citizen Service Centre (WCSCSC) — 240 units nationally across 77 districts under WCSCSD / CID of Nepal Police, staffed with officers trained for child-sensitive interviewing. Alternatively any Nepal Police station. Online complaint via nepalpolice.gov.np. Specialised child-protection NGOs — CWIN, Maiti Nepal, ECPAT Nepal, Saathi — can support filing and provide victim services. Preserve evidence (clothing, photographs, screenshots, medical records) and arrange medical examination promptly.

The Women, Children & Senior Citizen Service Directorate (WCSCSD), under the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Nepal Police, runs the specialised network of 240 Service Centres handling cases involving women, children, and senior citizens. Officers undergo training on child-sensitive interviewing, victim-protection protocols, and inter-agency coordination with health, education, and NGO services. The Directorate maintains national statistics on women / children offences; FY 2078/79 recorded 314 child sexual abuse cases and 2,380 rape cases nationally.

Yes. A child victim can give evidence in court, with protections under the Victim and Witness Protection Act 2075 — videoconferencing (so the child does not face the accused in person), closed proceedings, identity-confidentiality measures, and support by a parent / guardian / counsellor during testimony. The Children Act 2075 framework supports child-sensitive procedural adjustments. Court-appointed counsellors and child-friendly courtrooms are available in some District Courts; advocacy for nationwide rollout continues. Skilled cross-examination protection is critical to avoid re-traumatising the child.

The District Court can order compensation as part of the criminal judgment under the Penal Code 2074 framework. The amount depends on the offence severity, harm caused, victim age, and continuing care needs (medical, psychological, educational). The Victim Protection Act 2075 framework also provides for state-funded support to victims who cannot recover compensation from the offender. NGO-administered victim-support funds offer interim support during the case. Civil damages claims for higher amounts can run separately under the Civil Code 2074.

Generally no. The Penal Code 2074 framework and the Children Act 2075 treat child sexual abuse offences as serious crimes, and bail is effectively non-bailable in most CSA cases — particularly under Section 219 with under-16 victims and Section 220 incest. The court considers flight risk, potential interference with the child victim, and the prima facie strength of evidence. Bail can be granted in exceptional circumstances at the lower-tier offences (Section 225 minor cases, certain Children Act Section 66 charges) with strict conditions including no contact with the victim.

Medical examination of the child victim, conducted by a qualified medical practitioner (typically at a government hospital under a forensic-medical protocol), documents physical injuries, collects DNA evidence, and assesses psychological state. The examination is critical for the prosecution evidence chain. Consent of the child / parent / guardian is required; the examination is conducted with child-sensitive protocols. The medical report becomes a court exhibit and the examiner can be called as expert witness. NCASC HIV testing and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is also available as part of the protocol.

Foreign nationals committing CSA in Nepal face the same Penal Code 2074 / Children Act 2075 framework as Nepali nationals, with post-sentence deportation under the Immigration Act 2049. Extradition treaties with key source countries (US, UK, Australia, Germany and others) allow Nepal to return offenders or accept return of Nepali offenders convicted abroad. Travel-restriction frameworks under international cooperation (INTERPOL Green Notice, sex-offender registries) impact future Nepal entry by offenders convicted in their home country. NGO advocacy on travelling-child-sex-offender prevention continues.

Some practitioner sources reference a "Sexual Offences (Punishment) Act 2075." This appears to refer to the integrated framework spanning the Penal Code 2074 (Chapter 18, Sec 219-225), the Children Act 2075 (Sec 66-67), and the Victim Protection Act 2075. Nepal does not have a single consolidated sexual-offences statute by that exact title — the framework is distributed. The Penal Code is the principal statute; the Children Act and Victim Protection Act are companion statutes. Where a reference is made to "Sexual Offences Act 2075," verify whether the writer means the Penal Code chapter or another statute.

If the accused is also a juvenile (under 18 at the time of the offence), the case proceeds under the Juvenile Justice framework of the Children Act 2075 and the Juvenile Bench / Juvenile Justice procedure at the District Court. The Juvenile Bench adopts a rehabilitative rather than purely punitive approach — secure rehabilitation, counselling, education continuation, and monitored release — though serious offences (rape under Sec 219, incest under Sec 220) still attract substantial periods of secure custody. The victim child receives the same Witness Protection framework regardless of the offender's age.

For child victims and their families — immediately on disclosure, to file the FIR, preserve evidence, arrange medical examination, and ensure WCSCSD child-sensitive handling. For accused persons — immediately on Nepal Police contact; the penalty ladder under Sec 219 means early defence intervention is critical. For institutional matters — schools, religious institutions, residential care — where CSA has been alleged and institutional response is required. And for civil claims for damages running alongside the criminal case.