School of Life Science

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Anglia Ruskin University | Science Centre SCI004|
East Road | Cambridge | CB1 1PT
Telephone: 01223 698369
Email: Lata.Gautam@anglia.ac.uk

28 July 2019

Hon’ble Minister Mr Giriraj Mani Pokharel

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Singadurbar, Kathmandu, Nepal

Re: Invitation as a chief guest on the second annual Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault
workshop

Dear sir,

I, Dr Lata Gautam, in collaboration with the Biotechnology Society of Nepal (BSN) and Neuro
Foundation Nepal, am organising the second annual workshop on “Increasing awareness on
sexual assault and drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) cases’’. This event is taking place
at the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Khumaltar, Nepal on the 7th of
August 2019.

As you are aware, sexual assaults and drug facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) are becoming
a serious problem in Nepal. Sexual assaults on vulnerable people such as the children,
elderly and people with disability are becoming more common as evident from frequent
crime reports published in Nepali newspapers. The increasing cases of sexual assaults in
the country and the public outcry over mishandling of some high-profile cases such as the
Nirmala rape case highlight the urgent need to focus our efforts on a number of areas,
including: (i) capacity building on crime scene examination and forensic analysis of sexual
assault cases (ii) moral and sexual education, and public awareness programmes in
schools, and (iii) revised policy and practice in handling of sexual assault cases (such as on
safeguarding, reporting and victim support). Most sexual assault and rape cases do not even
come to light because victims are often ignored or not taken seriously by law enforcement
agencies, the judicial system, society and even their own family. Therefore, further work is
also needed in changing public perception and attitude in society as well as changing
behaviour among law enforcement agencies such as police and judiciary. In this regard, this
workshop is second of its kind in bringing together all stakeholders involved in sexual
assault/ DFSA investigation with the plan to formulate next plan of action.
This programme will start at 11am on the 7th August 2019. Some of our speakers include
Prof. Dr Harihar Wasti (Forensic consultant) and Shree Krishna Bhattarai (Judge,
Kathmandu District Court) among others. I will be presenting findings from our recent survey
of Nepali students about their knowledge, perception and understanding on Drug Facilitated
Sexual Assaults.

We look forward to hearing your positive response.

Sincerely yours,

Dr Lata Gautam (PhD, MSc, SFHEA, MRSC)

Senior Lecturer in Forensic and Investigative Sciences