The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre says they used to organise awareness sessions with the Fiji Rugby Union administrators and players however this has stopped after the Centre raised the issue of convicted rapist, Amenoni Nasilasila allowed to play rugby while still serving his time.
Ali made the comments while speaking at the second Safeguarding In Sports webinar through Team Up which is an Australian Government program supporting partnerships across the Pacific that uses sport to bring people together, champion inclusion and safe sports.
Ali also says over the years, they have had reports of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, domestic violence and dealt with individual survivors in the sports arena.
She says this is dealing with adult women and young girls, and there has been reluctance to address the issue.
Ali says if a woman and her husband or partner are playing the same sports and she dares to complain that he is beating her up, ill-treating her and controlling her not to play, the decision has been made in favour of the perpetrator.
She says they have also been called to counsel students and teachers because they were traumatised by incidents that had happened particularly around public swimming pools where the lifeguards, security guards and coaches were molesting, touching or harassing young children.
Ali says once again the protection was there for the perpetrator or there was protection for the organisation.
She says there needs to be mandatory awareness sessions, we need experts to teach children on good and bad touches, due diligence in recruitment of officials, coaches and others is needed, Police records need to be checked and sports organisations need a child protection policy.
