The story of unaddressed silent screams repeats once again. This time, it was of a young teenager, far from home, chasing her dreams pushed to the brink by relentless psychological, sexual, and alleged physical harassment. While the investigation continues, one thing is clear: Prakriti Lamsal was a victim of severe abuse and her tragic fate exposes the systemic failures—both socially and institutionally—that allow such injustices to persist..
In the aftermath, we witnessed students protesting, a university scrambling to react, cross-border tensions rising, and social media engulfed by #JusticeforPrakriti. Diplomatic interventions and heated debates about educational politicization, national accountability, and institutional reforms followed. The tragic incident at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has sent shockwaves both nationally and internationally, exposing a multitude of issues.
Yet, amidst that trending noise, the core issue remains unanswered. Why do every now and then we keep on hearing these horrendous news of abuse, violence, and harassment against women? Are we truly failing to address them?
The data paints a grim picture. The critical factors like the unequal position of women in relationships and society, cultural stigmatization on these sensitive topics, and the normative acceptance of abuse, violence as a conflict resolution method. Importantly, the deep flaws within the ‘victim support’ or ‘victim report’ processes heightens the problem even more.
Let’s be honest: what actually happens to the woman who speaks out against harassment? How do our society and institutions, the very entities meant to protect us, truly respond when a woman complains? And most importantly, how effective is our system in addressing the issue and supporting the survivors?
In Lamsal’s case, her repeated complaints were ignored. The responsible institutional inaction emboldened the perpetrator further deterring the situation. Even in the wake of her death, the first instinct from her educational officials was to scrutinize her choices—not the failures of the institution, not the abuser’s actions, not the system that failed her. Even in the trending hashtags #JusticeForPrakriti, the public discourse quickly turned to character assassination.
It already takes a lot of courage to speak out in our society for a victim who has endured the trauma of molestation, abuse, or harassment. Common questions like “Why didn’t you speak up sooner?” or “Are you sure you didn’t provoke them?” further exacerbate their pain. These questions perpetuate victim-blaming, which can lead to victims being shamed and judged by their communities. This often results in social ostracism, where victims are isolated and excluded from social circles, further deepening their trauma. For any woman, regardless of education or background, this is a worst-case nightmare.
The inefficiency of legal enforcement significantly contributes to this issue. Be it in the phase of investigation or prosecution, it is a clear testament to the failure of proper implementation and enforcement of even existing laws. Within these tedious processes of getting justice, the continuous victim-blaming followed by social ostracism remains a powerful silencing tool.
Amid political maneuvering and fleeting social media trends, the real question remains: What does genuine justice for Lamsal look like? Will the accused, reportedly shielded by political connections, face real consequences? Will this tragedy spur lasting reforms, or will it fade into another forgotten case? Can we break the cycle of institutional silence and impunity?
