Concerns regarding crimes against children persist within the Fiji Police Force, highlighted by an eight percent rise in reported incidents from last month. Acting Commissioner of Police, ACP Sakeo Raikaci, reported a significant overall crime rate increase of 28 percent in September compared to the same timeframe last year.
In total, 117 cases involving crimes against children were documented, with 90 of the victims being girls and 27 being boys. ACP Raikaci noted that 66 percent of these cases were classified as sexual offences, while 29 percent were related to assaults, and five percent involved other types of offenses.
Regions such as the Western and Central divisions experienced decreases in crime, with reductions of 47 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Conversely, other divisions observed increases. The Acting Commissioner pointed out that 15 percent of the recorded cases were domestic-related, involving relationships such as parent-child and other familial connections.
The rise in crimes against children has been attributed primarily to a surge in assault-causing actual bodily harm cases, which increased from 18 to 26 incidents.