Nepal's women's commission has condemned an attack in the remote west of the country on an elderly woman accused of witchcraft.

The 60-year-old woman was stripped naked and had her head shaved. She was fed excrement and badly beaten.

The woman was reportedly accused of using witchcraft to cause death and misfortune. The assault was apparently sanctioned by the village council.

Such attacks on vulnerable women are not uncommon in remote areas of Nepal.

Last year, villagers burnt alive a 40-year-old woman after claiming she was a witch.

Eight people were convicted over the attack, though convictions are rare.

Nepal's women's commission said it was sending a team to investigate the most recent case.