The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) in Bhutan has called for stricter punishment for the crimes like rape and sexual assaults if perpetrators are in a position of trust with minors, thekuensel.com reported. 

The commission compiled data on cases of rape and assault that happened between 2008-2020. Of the total 530 cases of rape, 70 percent belong to children. On average, four women or children have been raped every month between 2009-2013, the report finds. 

In cases of children, the commission finds in most cases perpetrators come from a position of trust of victims. “here is a need to raise the penalty to a life sentence if the defendant is in a position of authority or trust towards the child, or where a child is in a relationship of dependency or in a relationship that is exploitative of the child,” the commission said in a press release as reported by the Kuensel. 

Analysis of prosecutions and convictions in these cases found that 64% of cases saw a conviction and 22 percent are still pending with courts. In 6 percent of cases accused got acquittal and in the remaining 8 percent cases have either returned for review or dismissed.