After former students of the school made audio recordings and messages related to sexual misconduct public on social media, police have taken four people into custody and begun an investigation.
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Sukuna Secondary School in Sundarharaicha, Morang, is currently in the spotlight. However, this attention began not because of any achievement, but after incidents of sexual misconduct spreading within the school came to light. The protest that started after the school increased the transcript fee took on a different form. Students not only made public, via social media, incidents of sexual abuse that had been kept secret for years, but also released evidence of these incidents. After former students of the school shared their experiences, audio recordings, and text messages, police took four people into custody and began an investigation. The incident has raised questions about the role of the school administration and the safety of students. Let’s understand this incident through five questions and answers:
Are the incidents that have come to light recent?
No. Former students of Sukuna Secondary School had created a Facebook Messenger chat group called ‘SKN Confession’ about three years ago. In that group, they regularly discussed various topics. A few days ago, former students publicly shared, for the first time, their experiences of sexual misconduct by teachers in that group. According to the victims’ statements, incidents of sexual abuse had been occurring for a long time. However, due to various fears, they were forced to remain silent. Some students said inappropriate behavior by teachers began as early as grade 9, while many of the allegations are related to incidents that occurred while studying in grades 11 and 12 (even during final exams).
After the incident surfaced, on the night of 3rd Shrawan, another WhatsApp group called ‘Sukuna Student Union’ was created and serious discussions began, according to Santanu Dhakal, an injured participant in the Gen-Z movement. According to him, after discussions among former students, the victims were brought together. Three victims agreed to file a complaint. Then, on 4th Shrawan, they went to the Area Police Office in Belbari and registered a complaint.
According to one former student, they experienced repeated abuse throughout their time at the school. According to the victims, teachers would say, “I have your answer sheet, tell me how many marks you want, I’ll give them to you. But in return, you have to send me a photo.” Screenshots of such extremely sensitive and disgusting acts were also made public.
How did these incidents all come out at once?
According to a former student, the incidents came to light from the Facebook group created by students three years ago to protest the increase in transcript fees. Former students began to make public their past experiences of sexual abuse, screenshots of messages, audio recordings, and other details. In this way, the issue of sexual abuse that had been suppressed for years was brought to the surface.
What has been the school’s role in this incident?
According to the victims, they informed the school administration about the incidents both verbally and, in some cases, in writing. However, one teacher is accused of not taking the incidents seriously and responding with comments like, “If that happens, just slap them.” Principal Hikmat Bahadur Basnet admitted that an anonymous complaint had been received via the school’s email, and said that since the teacher’s name was not mentioned, all teachers and staff were questioned and discussions were held. He claimed that no evidence was found. He said, “The school will help to take action against the guilty, but the incident should not be exaggerated.”
How far has the investigation progressed?
A joint team from the Morang District Police Office and the Area Police Office in Belbari has advanced the investigation. So far, the school’s driver Pradeep Bhattarai, teachers Kishor Lal Gachhadar and Aviral Maske, and Bheem Nepal of Buddhashanti-7, Jhapa, have been taken into custody and are under investigation. Police have stated that they are collecting statements from the victims, audio recordings, messages, digital materials, and other evidence made public on social media. As the case is sensitive, further legal proceedings will be carried out based on additional evidence, according to Morang’s Superintendent of Police, Kavita Katuwal. The accused have been charged with offenses against children. On Tuesday, the court extended their detention by five days for further investigation.
What is the school doing after the incident?
The school has publicly committed to cooperating with the investigation. The principal has provided clarification regarding previous anonymous complaints. Meanwhile, Sundarharaicha Municipality has sent a letter to the school management instructing them to remove the accused teachers and staff from their duties according to legal procedures, suspend them if necessary, fully cooperate with the police investigation, and ensure the safety of students at the school. The school management has also stated that it will cooperate with the police investigation.
After the incident became public, female teachers and staff of Sukuna Secondary School issued a statement of concern. They requested that the media not create an environment that would make it impossible for the institution to continue operating in the future. They also called for action against the guilty, justice for the victims, and urged everyone to be extremely vigilant in preventing such incidents and situations in the future.
