Harry Lime's blog

Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir)

Nepal's newspapers generally refrain from writing articles critical of NCO/Bal Mandir (an organization with powerful friends).

A recent article in the Nepali Times is a notable exception -- looking at alleged child trafficking, corruption and sexual abuse at Nepal Children's Organization:

Child predators: Even compared to recent scandals in children’s homes, allegations of abuse at Bal Mandir are shocking

Nepali Times

4-10 July 2014

Sunir Pandey

When Sarah Robinson first came to Nepal with her son and niece in 2009, she took time out from sightseeing to visit Bal Mandir in Naxal.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Balmandir/126856557518147

At the squalid state-run orphanage, Sarah’s niece happened to pick up a five-year-old blind girl. Sarah, a special-needs teacher back in the UK, decided to adopt the child.

Nepali Times -- Child predators detained

Saturday, June 28th, 2014

Two men working in an orphanage in Kathmandu have been arrested and are facing trial next week accused of sexually abusing children in their charge.

Rabin Shrestha, former head of the adoptions at Bal Mandir, and Rabin Chalise, an ex-student who ran a Youth Club at the shelter, were arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) last week after child rights activists presented evidence of repeated rape and abuse of girls and boys at the orphanage.

Shrestha had been arrested before in 2012 after a British woman lodged a complaint against him for allegedly raping a five-year-old blind girl that she was going to adopt.

“I tried to adopt her, but Shrestha told me I couldn’t do that. He wanted me to sponsor her instead and told me I would get a decision after she turned 16,” the mother told Nepali Times this week.

Nepal -- Rabin Shrestha (alleged child rapist) & Action for Child Rights International

Story

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Rabin Shrestha, the former Head of Adoptions at Nepal’s largest children’s home, “Bal Mandir” (pictured), operated by the Nepal Children’s Organisation (NCO), was arrested this past week by the Nepal police for alleged sexual assault on three minors.

Nepal adoptions chief raped and groomed orphans for prostitution, claims British teacher

The Daily Telegraph

A British woman who adopted a five year old blind girl from a Nepalese orphanage believes she uncovered an abuse and vice ring after her new daughter said she’d been raped every Saturday

By Dean Nelson, New Delhi and Anil Giri in Kathmandu

27 Jun 2014

The former head of international adoptions at Nepal’s largest orphanage is in custody over allegations that he raped young girls and groomed them as prostitutes in Kathmandu dance bars.

One of the alleged victims was a five-year-old blind girl who who was later adopted by a British teacher. Three others suffer from autism and severe learning difficulties.

According to the girls, they and two young boys at the orphanage were sexually abused and raped every Saturday when the adoptions chief, Rabin Shrestha and his friend throw ‘birthday’ and ‘wedding’ parties at Kathmandu's Bal Mandir children’s home.

Nepal Children's Organization -- former head of NCO/Bal Mandir adoptions arrested for child rape (reprinted from PEAR Nepal)

Kathmandu Post:

KATHMANDU: Two suspects have been arrested behind alleged rape of three young girls living in a public orphanage, Nepal Children’s Organisation, popularly known as Balmandir. Police arrested Rabin Shrestha, a former employee of Balmandir, and Rabin Chalise, the current president of Balmandir Club, following the complaints of rape and sexual abuse at the orphanage lodged by Action for Child Rights International-Nepal. (PR)

Posted on: 2014-06-21 08:54

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/06/20/news/news-digest/...

Action for Child Rights International Nepal

Police Investigate Rape at Orphanage

Dal Bahadur Phadera & the suppressed UNICEF report (PEAR Nepal)

UNICEF Nepal's suppressed Humla report is now available on the web.

The reason UNICEF Nepal suppressed (i.e., never published) their 2005 report is unclear.

Nor is it clear why trafficked Nepali children were left at the Michael Job Centre, Tamil Nadu, for over six years.

Duelling videos -- Humla trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera

Reprinted from PEAR Nepal:

http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com/2011/11/duelling-videos-humla-trafficker-dal.html

Duelling videos on Humla trafficker Dal Bahadur Phadera

First, from the Esther Benjamins Trust:

23 Nepali girls rescued from 'mission'

Our September rescue operation which freed 23 Nepali girls has been vindicated by the Child Welfare Council (CWC) in India.

The CWC has ordered the closure of the centre from which the children were freed.

Paper Orphans documentary posted on the web (PEAR Nepal):

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B5QiFFxAu4

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adJdVBPvto

Part 3:

Allegations of corruption at Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir)

In May, the Mitrataa Foundation took over running Bal Mandir (a five year contract) despite serious reservations over the "severe corruption" at Nepal Children's Organization:

Mitrataa Foundation -- Annual Report 2010

10. Bal Mandir

Some background to the TDH/Image Ark documentary Paper Orphans (PEAR Nepal)

The Terre des hommes/Image Ark documentary Paper Orphans was a major reason so many receiving countries suspended adoptions from Nepal.

Paper Orphans focuses on three NGOs -- Nepal Children's Organization (NCO/Bal Mandir), the Helpless Children Protection Home (HCPH), and the Education Centre for Helpless Children (ECHC).