Crimes targeting women and children saw a significant rise last month, with incidents against women increasing by 39 percent and those against children rising by 9 percent.
Out of the 232 reported cases involving women, a staggering 88 percent were related to assault, while 12 percent involved sexual offences. Additionally, 31 percent of the cases were connected to domestic violence, with the assailant being a spouse or partner.
A notable factor contributing to the surge in crimes against women was the assault causing actual bodily harm, which recorded 181 cases, an increase of 65 from the same timeframe last year.
In terms of crimes against children, there were 153 cases reported, with 96 of the victims being girls and 57 boys. Among these cases, 53 percent were classified as sexual offences, 35 percent as assault-related, and 12 percent as other types of offences.
The Fiji Police Force indicated that the rise in crimes against children can be primarily attributed to a significant increase in incidents of assault causing actual bodily harm, which went up from 25 to 45 cases.