Fiji’s latest crime statistics saw a mix of serious and sexual crimes, with many involving family members.
Data released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for cases registered in the high courts last month showed that of the 28 serious crimes, including murder, robbery, burglary, and drug-related crimes, six involved familial relationships.
Among the incidents recorded was a case where a 48-year-old man was charged with the murder of his 76-year-old father. Another case involved a 55-year-old man accused of seriously injuring his 5-year-old stepdaughter with a cane knife, and a 34-year-old man who allegedly wounded his 39-year-old brother with a spade and attempted to set the brother’s house on fire.
In the same month, the ODPP reported 70 counts of sexual offenses involving 26 people. These included 46 cases of rape affecting 24 victims, with 15 of them being underage. Twelve of these cases involved relatives.
In one of the incidents, a 40-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of rape of his 8-year-old daughter. There was also a case involving a 56-year-old man accused of raping his 16-year-old granddaughter.
Eight cases were discontinued due to various reasons including false complaints or insufficient evidence.
