2024-01-10 23:05:35
In Nepal, the rising cricket star has just been sentenced to eight years in prison for rape. An investigation was opened after the complaint of a young woman who accused the former captain of the Nepal cricket team, Sandeep Lamichhane, of having raped her in a hotel room on August 22, 2022 after an evening spent together.
The athlete, now 23 years old, was suspended from his post following an arrest warrant issued by a Nepalese court. Arrested at Kathmandu airport in October 2022 upon his return from abroad, he was then released on bail in early 2023 and was able to continue his career with the national team.
A call to come
He was thus able to play qualifying events for the World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup. Hundreds of supporters also cheered him when he returned to a cricket field in February 2022. The provisional resumption of the Sandeep Lamichhane’s career had also sparked criticism of the cricket team among some Nepalis.
Scottish players also refused to shake his hand during an international tournament in Dubai. The former captain, who always denied having committed the rape, was not present during his sentencing. His lawyer, Saroj Ghimire, told AFP that he “will appeal the decision”. The victim claimed to be a minor at the time of the rape, but courts have ruled in the past that she was in fact 18 years old.
A deeply patriarchal country
Supporters of the young woman welcomed the conviction on Wednesday. “It’s good news, she led a long struggle,” said feminist activist Hima Bista. “But we have to stay vigilant and make sure he doesn’t escape.”
Some 2,300 rape cases were reported in Nepal in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, according to police, but rights advocates point out that many attacks go unreported in the deeply patriarchal country. Only a handful of women in Nepal spoke out during the #MeToo movement, and the alleged attackers who were singled out faced little or no action.
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