Sexual abuse of children must stop immediately and we are calling on everyone in society to band together and advocate on behalf of children and create safe and violence-free communities for children.
Save the Children Fiji CEO, Shairana Ali highlighted this after the latest statistics released by the Director of Public Prosecution revealed that 10 children were victims of serious sexual offences last month.
Ali says this is a shameful wake-up call to everyone to end this horrendous and uncalled-for offences against children in Fiji.
She is calling out perpetrators who have broken the trust of children adding the statistics indicate that most of the children were sexually abused by people known to them, including family members who are supposed to protect and care for their well-being.
Save the Children Fiji condemns such heinous crimes against children in the strongest terms and is calling for strong and swift prosecution against these perpetrators who have broken the trust of children.
They add children deserve to live in safe and supportive environment and it is painful and sad that they are subjected to the worst forms of abuse.
Although the consequences of child abuse and neglect weigh heavily on the shoulders of the children who experience it, society also pays a price and that is hospitalizations and likely foster care payments including long-term care, lost productivity at school, juvenile and criminal justice systems costs.
