Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran emphasized that the sexual abuse statistics concerning children should be a matter of shame for Fiji as a nation. During her end-of-week statement in Parliament on Friday, she presented recent data from the Fiji Police Force detailing reported child sexual abuse cases from 2021 to 2023, with additional figures for January to June 2024.
In 2021, there were 729 reported cases of child sexual abuse, which rose to 1,034 cases in 2022. However, the number declined to 844 cases in 2023. For the first six months of 2024, there have already been 324 recorded cases. Ms. Kiran pointed out that rape remains the most common offense against children in Fiji.
Breaking down this year’s figures, of the 324 cases reported:
– 13-17 years old: 215 cases
– 6-12 years old: 94 cases
– 0-5 years old: 15 cases
Among these, rape accounted for 104 cases, with 71 instances of indecent assault and 60 sexual assault cases. The overwhelming majority of victims, numbering 297, were females.
Despite a decrease in the overall trend, Ms. Kiran highlighted that the statistics do not fully capture the grave issue at hand, urging the nation to acknowledge the reality of child sexual and domestic abuse. She noted that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) monthly releases alarming data, demonstrating that children are consistently let down.
Alarmingly, the average age of the youngest victim of child sexual abuse over the past six years has been just two years old, with the youngest recorded victim being only six months old. Furthermore, UNICEF data indicates that five out of every six children in Fiji experience abuse or neglect from their families. “We must take these matters seriously,” she stated.