POLICE MEDIA RELEASE
We are yet to complete the first month of 2013 and a worrying crime continues to rob our women and children of their freedom to feel safe.
The month of January has recorded over 15 cases of rape, 2 cases of attempted rape and defilement.
Sexual offences are crimes that require specialist quick response from Police. They have a long lasting effect on victims, their families and the community, and cross all socio economic and cultural barriers.
While the Fiji Police is committed to ensuring perpetrators are quickly brought to justice, there is a dire need for men to understand and adopt the mentality that women and children should be respected and deserve to feel safe.
We are requesting society as a whole to play a more pro-active role as the responsibility of keeping our women and children safe should be taken on board by every citizen.
Rape will always be a traumatic experience and is a violation of human rights. Victims of such heinous crimes experience a range of short- and long-term psychological and emotional impacts.
The Fiji Police is calling on those with the mindset of carrying out such crimes to seriously think of the consequences their actions will have on their victims and also themselves as they will face the consequences of their actions as per the law.
No one wants to see their own mother, sister or daughter treated in such a way, so nothing gives them the right to treat others differently.
Sexual assault can impact on the way the victim interacts with those close to them and the community as a whole. It also affects partners, children, family and friends of the victim, as well as the wider community.
The Fiji Police maintains a very strict policy on sexual offences with a red alert response in place throughout the divisions and we will not condone these acts that violate the safety and privacy of our women and children.