Campaigners against violence towards women in the Pacific are questioning Vanuatu authorities' commitment to eradicating the problem.
The Chair of the Pacific Network Against Violence Against Women, Shamima Ali, says the lenient sentence handed down in a child rape trial in Vanuatu is a classic case of a survivor of sexual violence not having access to justice.
She says that was one of the promises made at last year's Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns and leaders in the region should be holding each other accountable.
Her comments come after a 30-year-old man was given a suspended sentence for the rape of a ten-year old girl and the judge commented on his good leadership qualities.
"You can imagine how difficult it was. A child, most probably from the poor sector of the community, parents most probably not knowing what to do. For them to come forward and take the case that far would have taken tremendous effort."
The chair of the Pacific Network Against Violence Against Women, Shamima Ali.
