Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran expressed that the data on child sexual abuse is a matter of shame for Fiji as a nation. During her end-of-week statement in Parliament on Friday, Ms. Kiran presented the latest statistics from the Fiji Police Force regarding child sexual abuse cases reported from 2021 to 2023, along with data from January to June 2024.
In 2021, there were 729 reported cases, which rose to 1,034 in 2022, but saw a decline to 844 cases in 2023. The first half of 2024 has already recorded 324 cases. She noted that rape remains the most common offense against children in Fiji.
Breaking down this year’s numbers, of the 324 reported cases:
– 215 victims were aged 13-17 years, the highest number,
– 94 cases involved children aged 6-12 years,
– and 15 cases involved infants aged 0-5 years.
Rape accounted for 104 of the cases, with 71 incidents of indecent assault and 60 cases of sexual assault. The overwhelming majority of victims, totaling 297, were female.
Despite a downward trend in the total number of cases, Ms. Kiran stressed that the raw numbers do not fully capture the issue, emphasizing that these figures should prompt reflection and a sense of urgency among the citizens of Fiji. She called on all Fijians to address the pressing problems of child sexual and domestic abuse, pointing out that the overwhelming data released monthly by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reveals a systemic failure to protect children.
She highlighted the alarming fact that the average age of the youngest victim of child sexual abuse in the last six years is two years old, with the youngest reported victim being just six months old. Moreover, data from UNICEF indicates that five out of every six children in Fiji endure abuse or neglect in their own families. Ms. Kiran emphasized the importance of taking these issues seriously.