The Fiji Women's Rights Movement (FWRM) is strongly urging that the prison sentence handed to former Fijian Holdings Limited CEO Mohammed Nouzab Fareed not be reduced any further.
Fareed was convicted on two counts of indecent assault for offenses committed against a subordinate female employee in his office.
He received a sentence of 8 months and 22 days, with a portion suspended, and has announced plans to appeal the sentence as excessive.
While the FWRM respects the independence of the judiciary and legal avenues, its leadership emphasizes that the power imbalance is crystal clear and that the current sentence is already lenient given the severity of the abuse of power.
They say that a deterrent sentence is sorely needed for other sexual harassers in the workplace.
The complainant shared with FWRM that the conviction and sentence offer her a chance to finally rebuild her life and find a sense of normalcy.
She shared this with the FWRM, which has supported her for the past seven years through a senior legal advisor, adding that the prospect of any sentence reduction is deeply distressing to contemplate.
FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh says that a further reduction would be a slap in the
face not only for the complainant, but for all Fiji women in the workplace.
Singh says the criminal serves some 8 months; the complainant effectively “served” 7 years.
She says seeking justice must never become another punishment for the woman who survived.
Deputy Board Chair, Annie Reymond Rogers stated that if the sentence is reduced, what message does that send to every woman in Fiji who experiences violence or harassment in the workplace, that it is okay to get away with it?
The FWRM says that Fareed’s guilt has been clearly established, and accountability rests firmly on the perpetrator and the corporate environment that allowed the behavior to persist.
The 7-year wait for justice involved profound emotional trauma and extraordinary courage by the complainant.
The courts must signal zero tolerance for workplace sexual harassment and abuse of executive authority.
