A sporting tournament cannot take priority over a woman’s pursuit of justice.
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) Coordinator Shamima Ali shared these sentiments as the organisation expresses outrage over a person of interest in an ongoing police investigation into alleged sexual harassment being allowed to leave Fiji for Australia.
Police have confirmed to fijivillage News that the chair of a sporting body was interviewed and released, while the investigation file is being compiled for referral to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for independent legal advice.
Ali says women are repeatedly encouraged to report violence and sexual harassment and to have confidence in the institutions responsible for responding to their complaints.
She says that confidence is undermined when serious allegations are not addressed urgently, transparently and consistently.
FWCC maintains that institutions must demonstrate through their actions that allegations of sexual violence and harassment are taken seriously, and that women and girls can have confidence in the systems responsible for responding to their complaints.
She says that while the presumption of innocence and the right to due process must be respected, due process must also work for the woman who has made the complaint and is seeking justice through the very institutions that women are constantly encouraged to trust.
FWCC is also deeply concerned about recurring lapses in police responses to cases involving women and girls who report domestic violence, rape, technology-facilitated violence against women and sexual harassment.
The organisation is calling on the Commissioner of Police to publicly explain why the person of interest was allowed to leave Fiji while the investigation remains ongoing.
FWCC is also seeking clarification on what measures are in place to ensure the individual remains available to police and returns to Fiji when required.
Police have confirmed with fijivillage News that the file is with ODPP.
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