Outgoing Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Josefa Koroivueta says the Ministry is shocked to know about an incident where a 14-year-old boy was charged on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault last month.
Earlier today, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) released the sex crime statistics for last month where the juvenile was charged with four counts of rape and seven counts of sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl.
He is among 39 people charged with a total of 95 counts of sexual offences in May.
Speaking to FijiLive, Dr Koroivueta said these are not the social norms that our parents and the older generation have tried to instil in us.
He said that this had to do with the change in time and that we know that there is a change in the social fabric in Fiji – There is more violence in children now.
“This is somewhat a very disturbed society that we have right now. Now this is something that is being addressed in the National Action Plan on Gender Based Violence Against Women and Children… that through consultations and dialogue where there is an endeavour to look at this more strategically and finding possible solutions.”
He added that this is not an issue for the Government only; this issue is for the whole of society to address together and possibly find the cause.
“We are in it together, and surely we can make a difference,” Dr Koroivueta said.
