A/HRC/41/42/Add.2 A. Femicide or gender-related killings of women 31. There is a general lack of official data on gender-related killings of women or femicide in the country. According to data provided by the Nepal Peace Monitoring Project in 2017, 116 incidents of domestic violence were recorded, while there were 49 genderrelated deaths of women in the first quarter of 2018. The Special Rapporteur noted that, in many cases of killings committed by former or current intimate partners, the victims had previously reported acts of violence to the police but had not been provided with adequate and effective protection. She commends the work being carried out by non-governmental organizations, including women’s organizations at the local level, to quantify genderrelated killings of women.7 32. The mandate holder wishes to reiterate the call she made for all States to establish a “femicide watch and/or observatory” or a “gender-related killing of women watch” and to collect and release each year on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) data on the number of intimate partner and family-related femicides, indicating the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, and other gender-related killings. Data on the prosecution of perpetrators should also be collected and published. Most importantly, all such cases should be carefully analysed to identify any failure of protection, with a view to improving and developing further preventive measures. 33. While there is currently a general lack of disaggregated data, in particular with regard to gender-based violence against women, trafficking and sexual and labour exploitation, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the commitment towards the comprehensive collection of gender-disaggregated data through the census planned for 2021 and the efforts through the National Women’s Commission to coordinate a gender-based violence information management system to facilitate nationwide data collection, assessment and monitoring of cases. B. Sexual violence, including rape 34. The Special Rapporteur received information suggesting that the number of cases of sexual violence and rape is increasing. According to Government reports for 2016 and 2017, a total of 1,874 rape cases were filed in court, resulting in 654 convictions and 333 acquittals, while 870 cases of attempted rape were filed, resulting in 270 convictions and 275 acquittals (see CEDAW/C/NPL/Q/6/Add.1, para. 50). According to the report of the Nepal Peace Monitoring Project, compared with the previous quarter, there was an increase in rape and attempted rape of 9 per cent in the period from April to June 2018. 8 Young women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, and 145 of the recorded victims were below the age of 26 years.9 While these figures may reflect an increase in overall reporting, they are nevertheless troubling and highlight the need to properly address such cases. 35. In chapter 18 of the National Penal Code of 2017, a number of sexual offences are defined and prohibited and penalties are provided for the perpetrator. However, the Code fails to adequately criminalize rape and other forms of sexual violence in line with international law. While the Code, in section 229 (2), extends the statute of limitations for the prosecution of cases of sexual violence to one year, the Special Rapporteur remains concerned that this extension may be too short, especially for offences that were committed during the conflict and for cases involving young girls. Nepalese law does not codify war crimes and crimes against humanity. As a consequence, cases of rape during the conflict can be prosecuted only as ordinary offences, with no regard for the specificities of the commission of the crimes in the context of an armed conflict. 7 8 9 8 The Nepal Monitor, for example, is a nationwide data platform collating information and data on violence and associated injuries and on incidents related to gender-based violence and killings. Nepal Peace Monitoring Project, “Trends of violence and contestation in Nepal”. Ibid.