The Fiji Police Force has expressed serious concern over a marked increase in crimes against children. Last month, there was a 25 percent rise in these incidents, totaling 138 cases, which involved 93 girls and 45 boys.
Acting Commissioner of Police Sakeo Raikaci revealed that of these cases, 54 percent were classified as sexual offences, while 33 percent were related to assaults and the remaining 13 percent involved other types of offences. Notably, 22 percent of the crimes were domestic in nature, involving relatives such as cousins and parent-child relationships.
Raikaci attributed the surge in crimes against children to a noticeable rise in assault cases, which increased from 23 to 35. Additionally, incidents of abduction involving minors escalated from 5 to 22 cases, and sexual assaults rose from seven to 20. The overall crime rate similarly saw an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous year, with serious crimes up by 11 percent, crimes against women increasing by 4 percent, and crimes against children up by 25 percent.
In an effort to promote police accountability, Raikaci noted that five officers faced charges last month for various offences including sexual offences, assault, drug-related crimes, and breaches of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVRO). He also highlighted that police officers themselves are not immune to crime, with 25 cases of serious assault involving police as victims, along with instances of obstruction and resisting arrest.
In terms of drug-related issues, Raikaci reported 143 drug cases in August, compared to the same month last year, with 138 of those involving unlawful possession of illicit drugs and 5 related to cultivation. A total of 135 individuals were charged for drug-related offences, including three who were students.
Raikaci also acknowledged the support from community and religious leaders in combating crime. He emphasized the importance of unity in enhancing community safety and urged the public to report any suspicious activities through Crime Stoppers.