The first half of 2024 has seen 324 reported cases of child sexual abuse in Fiji. Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, brought this issue to the forefront during a Parliament session on Friday, noting that the monthly average of reported cases stands at 54, with rape being the most frequent crime against children in the country.
Kiran emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “Any child that has to go through the trauma of abuse is one too many.” She called for national reflection on the disturbing statistics. The data presented was sourced from the Fiji Police Force and covers reports from 2021 to June 2024.
In 2021, there were 729 cases, which rose to 1,034 in 2022, before decreasing to 844 in 2023. Notably, data from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions reveals that the average age of the youngest victims in the past six years is just two years, with the youngest victim being six months old. The average age of the youngest offender is 12 years.
Kiran pointed out that three out of five reported rapes were against children, and 23 out of every 1,000 females giving birth are under 18 years of age. Breaking down the 2024 figures, of the 324 reported child sexual abuse cases from January to June, the 13-17 age group accounted for the majority with 215 cases. The 6-12 age group followed with 94 cases, while the infant group (0-5 years) recorded 15 cases.
Rape was reported 104 times, making it the most common offense, followed by 71 cases of indecent assault and 60 cases of sexual assault. The overwhelming majority of victims, 297 (91.7 percent), were female, while males made up 27 (8.3 percent) of the cases.