In the first half of 2024, Fiji reported a troubling 324 cases of child sexual abuse, according to Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran, who addressed Parliament on Friday. This averages out to about 54 cases per month, with rape identified as the most common offense against children in the country.
Kiran expressed that each instance of a child enduring the trauma of abuse is devastating and that these statistics should evoke shame and reflection on a national level. She emphasized the need for a serious consideration of what society is doing to tackle this pressing issue and how it plans to address it moving forward.
The Assistant Minister referenced data from the Fiji Police Force covering the years 2021 to 2024. In 2021, there were 729 recorded cases of child sexual abuse, which rose to 1,034 in 2022 before decreasing to 844 cases in 2023. Kiran noted the alarming trend and the necessity for vigilance in protecting children’s rights, especially in the digital age. A United Nations expert recently warned of the increasing risks of online child sexual abuse and exploitation, urging that children’s rights should be prioritized in the regulation of the internet and digital products.
On a local level, data revealed that over the past six years, the average age of abuse victims was just two years old, with the youngest victim being six months. The average age of perpetrators stands at 12 years. Furthermore, statistics show that three out of every five reported rapes were committed against children, with a high incidence of births to females under the age of 18.
This alarming situation calls for immediate and proactive intervention efforts to address and confront the realities of child sexual abuse in Fiji. The complexities surrounding this issue require urgent attention and action from all sectors of society to protect the most vulnerable members of the community.