Trauma can never be erased

Twenty-four Fijian law enforcement officers completed their Personal Crime Investigators (PCI) course at the Fiji Police Academy in Nasova, Suva, yesterday.

The course focused on the investigation and legislation of sexual offence cases and the handling of victims.

Officiating at his first event at the Academy, acting Commissioner of Police, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho told the participants: “I have been talking in the media from Day One of my concerns on vulnerable groups, especially children and women with regards to sexual crimes that have been committed”.

“Even though the statistics have been reduced, the gravity of those offences is unacceptable and it has reached a stage now that the people we look up to for wisdom are among the perpetrators.”

The participants included Police officers and  two officers from the Republic of Fiji Military Force’s (RFMF) Military Police.

Resource persons throughout the two-week course included personnel from the Department of Social Welfare, Medical Services Pacific (MSP) and departments from within the Fiji Police Force.

“Sexual crimes and the complexities with the issues surrounding it such as the trauma the victim and family as well as some of you would have to go through, is what I’ve been told has been covered by the training team.

“It hits the core of our being, hits you there in the heart, which is why special emphasis is placed on these cases because the trauma can never be erased from the victims and families.”

He urged the participants to put their two-week training to good use for the sake of the people they serve.

The dux award of the course went to WPC Vularua Colati.

Police Media Cell

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