The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre condemns the wave of misogynistic and victim-blaming comments circulating online following rape charges brought against two prominent football players.
Coordinator Shamima Ali says the Centre stands firmly with the women who have shown immense courage in reporting rape and sexual assault, despite the many layers of hostility, intimidation, and disbelief they continue to face.
Ali says we stand with you, we believe you, and we are here to support you.
She says if you or someone you know needs assistance, please call the Free National Domestic Violence Helpline 1560, available 24/7 and free to call from any network.
Ali says any woman, girl, or child can reach out to them, and they are not to blame for the rape committed.
She stresses that every time you blame a rape survivor, you contribute to a culture that protects perpetrators and silences survivors.
She adds rape is never caused by what a person wears, where they go, who they associate with, or how they choose to live their lives.
Ali says the responsibility for rape lies solely with the perpetrator.
Ali says this situation is occurring in a context where reporting sexual violence is already extremely difficult for women and girls in Fiji.
The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre says research consistently shows that sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes in Fiji and globally.
Ali says survivors face multiple barriers to reporting, including fear of not being believed, fear of social stigma, shame, trauma, and lack of trust in the justice system.
She adds that many survivors delay reporting for years or never report at all because of anticipated backlash.
She adds that evidence from the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre shows that in Fiji, the majority of perpetrators are not strangers, but people known to the survivor who are often intimate partners or family members.
fijivillage News did not mention the name of one of the football players as he allegedly raped his ex-girlfriend, and it would have identified the woman in question.
