19 May 2014

Calls for Fiji Women's minister to apologise on sex crime comments

6:34 am on 19 May 2014

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre is demanding the Minister for Women apologise and retract her comments on females needing to dress modestly to curb sex crimes.

Jiko Luveni has said if a girl is going out to drink with men wearing clothes that show off her body, she may be arousing the opposite sex and inviting trouble.

The centre's coordinator, Shamima Ali, says she is outraged by the comments which take the onus off the perpertator and put the blame on the victim.

She says that such ignorance is unacceptable for someone who holds a ministerial position and can influence government policy which impacts on the lives of Fiji women.

"I have already sent a message to the AG's office, one to the Prime Minister's office. Some pressure will be put on her to retract and to apologise. This is an insult to survivors of rape and sexual assault and the trauma that they suffer. It has to be retracted, and an apology is due to the women of Fiji."

Shamima Ali says the comments come at a time when the numbers of sexual assaults and rapes in the country are increasing.