18 Jul 2013

Sex crime rise in Fiji urban areas

3:02 pm on 18 July 2013

Sexual violence in Fiji has increased in urban areas, and close to 3,000 cases of sexual violence were reported to police last year.

The Child Abuse and Sexual offences unit told Fiji Village that the 2,980 offences include rape, sexual assault and the defilement of persons under the age of 16.

Its National Coordinator, Detective Inspector Salaseini Vakatuturagani, says in most cases the perpetrators are known to the victims.

"In the urban areas, there's an increase of sexual offences...these are the ones that are reported but we really cannot tell the ones that are hidden under the carpet. Major victims, the categories are under the age of 16 - rape is top, and second is indecent *inaudible* of person, that is increasing right now."

Detective Inspector Salaseini Vakatuturagani says police are doing community awareness programmes in many parts of the country.