Human Rights Commission attended to many cases of abuse and inhumane treatment this year

The Human Rights and Anti Discrimination Commission of Fiji attended to a number of serious cases of abuse and inhumane treatment this year.

This includes female sex workers being subject to verbal abuse and bullying at police stations, non payment of maternity leave, women not allowed to breastfeed while being in police custody, strip search of females by male police officers in public places, females kept in cells with drunk male suspects and arbitrary eviction faced by elderly women.

While speaking at the NGO Coalition on Human Rights Series of Panel Events for Fiji’s 50th Independence Anniversary, Commission’s Director, Ashwin Raj says they also attended to reports of death in custody, sexual assault of prisoners, hunger strike in correction facilities, detention exceeding more than 48 hours, overcrowded cell blocks in police stations and non provision of food while in custody.

He says there were also a number of cases of racial and sexual discrimination.