Deputy Police Commissioner Isikeli Sauliga says more needs to be done for victims of sex offences in the country.
While speaking on the topic Promoting Public Safety and the Effective Management of Sex Offenders at the Asia Pacific Conference of Correction Administrators in Nadi, Sauliga says he is sorry to state that the only help Police have for victims at this stage is the referrals for counselling to Medical Services Pacific.
Sauliga also reveals that the Juvenile Amendment Act authorizes the Commissioner of Police to open and maintain a Sex Offenders Register for child sexual offenders.
He says unfortunately this has not been done in Fiji, however, there is preparatory work for training by their counterparts from Australia.
Sauliga says time is ticking for victims of sex crimes because they are always mindful of the time and day, they will have to once again meet the very person, who preyed on their vulnerability.
He says a multi-sectoral approach is needed for this.
Sauliga says from January to August 2016, a total of 1,165 sexual offence cases while 961 reports have been received for the same period this year. He says rape, attempt to commit rape and sexual assault cases have gone up in this period.
The Deputy Police Commissioner says for the period January to August 2016, 54 of the offenders were either related or known to the victim. For the same period in 2017, 94 were related or known to the victim.
Sauliga says these relationships include parent-child relationship, step-parent-child, siblings, grandparent-child, husband-wife, others include cousins, uncles, in-laws, friends, neighbours, friends on facebook, workmates, classmates and caretakers.
