The Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, expressed that the statistics regarding child sexual abuse should serve as a point of shame for Fiji as a nation. Her statements were made during an end-of-week address in Parliament on Friday.
Ms. Kiran provided the latest figures from the Fiji Police Force concerning reported cases of child sexual abuse from 2021 to mid-2024. In 2021, there were 729 reported cases, which rose to 1,034 in 2022 but dropped to 844 in 2023. In the first half of 2024 alone, there have already been 324 reported cases.
She emphasized that rape is the most common crime affecting children in Fiji. An analysis of the current year’s data reveals that among the 324 reported cases, the age distribution is as follows: 215 cases involve children aged 13 to 17, 94 involve those aged 6 to 12, and 15 cases involve infants aged 0 to 5.
Specifically, the breakdown of offenses indicates that there were 104 reported cases of rape, 71 cases of indecent assault, and 60 cases of sexual assault. The data also shows that females represent the vast majority of victims, accounting for 297 cases.
Although there is a noted decline in numbers, Ms. Kiran stated that these statistics do not fully illustrate the severity of the situation and should prompt critical reflection for the nation. She urged all Fijians to address the issues surrounding child sexual abuse and domestic violence.
She highlighted that monthly releases from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reveal troubling data that indicates a systemic failure to protect children in Fiji, where the average age of the youngest sexual abuse victim in the last six years is just two years old. The youngest recorded victim was only six months old. According to UNICEF, five out of every six children in Fiji experience abuse or neglect by their families.
Ms. Kiran concluded by stressing the importance of taking these issues seriously.