The Fiji Police Force has reported a 19 percent rise in overall crime for last month compared to the same period in the previous year. Within this increase, serious crimes showed a 10 percent uptick, with crimes against women increasing by 22 percent. Despite these concerning trends, the overall detection rate remains relatively steady at 64 percent. Interestingly, crimes against children have decreased by 9 percent.
While the Eastern Division noted reductions in both overall crime and crimes against women, increases were observed in other regions. Specifically, serious crimes and crimes against children saw declines in the Southern, Eastern, and Northern divisions, whereas other areas recorded rises.
In terms of specific crimes, 45 percent of theft cases from November were successfully detected, while the detection rates for burglary and aggravated robbery stood at 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively. The Southern Division experienced notable increases in aggravated burglary and murder, while the Western Division reported rises in multiple categories, including burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and arson. Similarly, the Eastern Division faced increases in burglary, aggravated robbery, and motor vehicle theft. The Northern Division reported rises in motor vehicle theft and murder, and the Central Division also experienced increases in rape, robbery, motor vehicle theft, and murder.
Out of 217 reported cases of crimes against women in November, a staggering 80 percent were related to assault, with the remaining 20 percent involving sexual offenses. Notably, 36 percent of these incidents happened in domestic contexts, predominantly involving spouses or partners. In contrast, crimes against children in November totaled 101 cases, affecting 49 girls and 52 boys. Among these incidents, half were assault-related, 40 percent were classified as sexual offenses, and the remaining 10 percent pertained to other types of offenses. A fraction of the domestic related cases involved relationships between parents and children, as well as uncles and nieces/nephews, and other relatives.
It’s important to view these statistics in a broader context. While the rise in crime rates is indeed alarming, it also highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to raise awareness around these issues and improve detection rates. The decrease in crimes against children may suggest effective initiatives in protection and prevention. Moving forward, fostering community collaboration and targeted interventions could serve to not only reduce crime rates but also create a safer environment for all members of society.
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