Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran expressed that the statistics on child sexual abuse should be a source of shame for Fiji as a nation. She made these comments while addressing Parliament on Friday, providing an overview of the latest data from the Fiji Police Force covering reported cases from 2021 through 2023, including the first half of 2024.
In 2021, there were 729 reported cases of child sexual abuse. This number rose to 1,034 in 2022, but then decreased to 844 cases in 2023. So far, there have been 324 cases reported in the first half of 2024. Kiran highlighted that rape remains the most frequent crime against children in Fiji.
Breaking down the 324 reported cases this year reveals that 215 were among children aged 13 to 17, 94 involved children aged 6 to 12, and 15 were infants aged 0 to 5. Among these cases, there were 104 instances of rape, 71 cases of indecent assault, and 60 cases of sexual assault. The overwhelming majority of victims were female, amounting to 297.
Despite a slight decrease in overall statistics, Kiran stressed that these figures should prompt reflection and shame at the societal level. She called on all Fijians to confront and address the challenging issues of child sexual and domestic abuse. Monthly reports from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions consistently reveal alarming data, indicating a consistent failure to protect children.
Notably, the average age of the youngest victim of child sexual abuse over the past six years is just two years old, with the youngest victim reported being merely six months old. According to UNICEF, five out of every six children in Fiji endure abuse or neglect by their families. Kiran emphasized the urgent need for serious action on these critical issues.