The overall crime rate in the first 10 months of the year dropped by six per cent compared to the same period last year, but Fiji Police remains concerned about the number of crimes against women and children in particular those committed by people known to them.
In October alone, stats shared by Fiji Police showed that while crime against women dropped by 23 per cent, crime against children increased by 26 percent, from 118 cases in 2021 to 160 this year.
Of the 160 cases, 11 percent were domestic-related, between parent and child relationships whilst the remaining 89% were perpetrated by relatives within domestic settings. These included cases of sexual offences, assault and other offences.
“Women and children have the right to feel safe in their own homes, however, based on the statistics of crimes, they are falling victims of crime within domestic settings, perpetrated by people known to them,” Fiji Police said in a statement.
Fiji Police says it is doing its best through community policing to minimise numbers, which could be better addressed through a collaborative approach.
“With the majority of the cases occurring within domestic settings, the Fiji Police is calling for increased participation from community leaders and groups, civil society, Non-Government organisations and religious groups to understand and identify societal behaviours and factors that contribute to crimes against women and help in identifying preventative measures.”
Meanwhile, through its community policing efforts and initiatives including the “Know You Neighbour” campaign, the Fiji Police noted a decrease in aggravated robbery cases for the 10-month reporting period, sustaining a declining trend noted from May to October.
For the month of October 2022, a total of 25 cases were reported compared to 45 cases reported during the same period in 2021.
“The tempo of operations focusing on receivers of stolen goods will increase in the coming weeks to counter opportunistic crimes targeting mobile phones, electronic gadgets and other valuable items that could be disposed of quickly in return for a quick dollar this festive season.”
