Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran expressed that the statistics regarding child sexual abuse should evoke feelings of shame for Fiji as a nation. She addressed these concerns during her end-of-week statement in Parliament on Friday.
Kiran presented data from the Fiji Police Force concerning child sexual abuse cases reported from 2021 to mid-2024. In 2021, there were 729 reported cases, which increased to 1,034 in 2022, followed by a decrease to 844 in 2023. In the first half of 2024, 324 cases have already been recorded.
She noted that rape remains the most common offense against children in Fiji. A detailed breakdown from this year’s figures shows that among the 324 cases reported, 215 victims were aged 13-17, 94 victims were between 6-12 years old, and 15 were infants aged 0-5.
Kiran highlighted that there were 104 cases of rape, 71 cases of indecent assault, and 60 cases of sexual assault, with females representing the majority of victims at 297.
While there appears to be a decreasing trend in reported cases, Kiran emphasized that these numbers signify a larger issue that the nation must confront. She urged Fijians to address the ongoing problems of child sexual and domestic abuse, citing alarming monthly statistics released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) that reveal the extent of the issue.
The average age of the youngest victim of child sexual abuse over the past six years is just two years old, with the youngest reported victim being six months old. According to UNICEF, five out of six children in Fiji experience abuse or neglect from their families, underscoring the urgent need for serious action on this matter.